Oblivion
by ChaosEmperorNex
Summary: He's not the Boy-Who-Lived. He's not the Chosen One. He's not even a hero. Quite the opposite in fact. He's a being of such terrible greatness that at one point, those who were hated as devils and worshiped as deities, saw fit to seal him away. Now he's back and he wants his throne. Let Order reign...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I know, I know. I should be working on my Legacy stories but, this one has been running in my head for _years. _After finally finding the time. I sat down and finally wrote up(by hand) a rough draft. I showed it to some friends and they liked it so much they demanded that I continue with this regardless of my schedule.  
**

**I will point out that this IS a crossover with the Elder Scrolls, however, I just published it as a regular Harry Potter fic cuz I'm too lazy.**

**Hope you enjoy! **

**CE-NEX**

**Disclaimer: All characters, ideas, names and terminology belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Prince**

**Diagon Alley-Ollivanders Wand Shop**

Lily Potter tried to put the sense of apprehension that had settled on her aside however, she just couldn't help but feel discomforted in this shop. Not that there was anything wrong with Ollivanders Wand Shop.

It was just that the old man who ran the shop always unsettled her. Of course, it's not like he was an unpleasant individual or anything. Quite the opposite in fact. He was very kind and patient man who did his best for his customers. It was just the eldritch presence the man had that put her on edge.

She hugged her arms as a shiver wracked her body.

A warm touch settled on her shoulder and she looked over to peer into a pair of kind chocolate eyes. "You all right there Lils?" Her husband asked with a minor frown. She smiled back at him. James had changed a great deal since their days in Hogwarts. Gone was his brash and cocky attitude. He was now a fully devoted husband and father who always put thoughts of his family first.

"I'm fine. Just remembering the time I first came in to get a wand." She said quietly.

James chuckled beside her. "Yeah, I remember when I came to get mine as well. Nearly had a heart attack when Ollivander came out of nowhere from behind. Practically jumped right into my dad's arms. He never let me live it down."

She laughed with him and together they returned their attention to their daughter who just put down another wand. Iris Potter was the spitting image of her mother. Lily only wished that Iris had also inherited her eyes. Suddenly. The smile on lily's face disappeared when an image of a dark haired young man with startling green eyes flashed through her mind.

She tried to focus on the image but, the harder she tried the more difficult it became to remember. Her mind fogged over and she couldn't remember what she was doing. She blinked away the sudden daze and realized that Ollivander had left them and gone into the back of his shop.

"What if I can't find a wand," a timid voice came from in front of her.

Lily looked down to see an apprehensive and nervous Iris shuffle before her. Iris was a darling girl. She was quiet to a fault and extremely well-mannered. Thoughtful, kind and very shy around new people, her daughter was the apple of her eye and the joy of her life. It crushed Lily to know that her beloved daughter was tied by fate to a murdering madman.

How she cursed the day that Dumbledore came to the Potter's household in Godric's Hollow ten years ago and informed them of the prophecy that fraud of a seer gave. It was that damnable prophecy that drew Voldemort's wrath down on her family and had cost them any semblance of a normal life.

"Don't worry sweetheart," James said kindly from next to her. "I'm one hundred percent sure your wand is here somewhere. Mister Ollivander just has to find it for you. "

"But-but what if I'm not good enough for any of these wands." Iris said forlornly.

"Nonsense," James scoffed. "You're a Potter. If anything, these wands aren't good enough for you."

"Ah, but it isn't about being good enough Mister Potter," a voice called out causing all of them to jump. "Oh no, a wand must properly feel matched to its wielder."

As one they all turned to look at the wand crafter as he carried with him a single box and laid it out on the sales counter. "Let's try this one shall we Miss Potter? Eleven and a half inches. Holly and phoenix feather. Very supple." Ollivander said with strange gleam in his eye.

Lily was suddenly hit with the urge to grab Iris in her arms and make a run for it for some strange reason. She watched in dread as Iris took a hold of the wand and waited for the rush of magic that was sure to happen.

Problem was, the magic never came.

Iris looked down on the wand with a small frown and said, "I feel…_something…_but it's like a small tug. Nothing big."

"I was so sure," Ollivander muttered disappointedly. Lily on the other hand, let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. For one reason or another, that wand gave her a very unpleasant sensation.

Lily looked towards the pile of wands that was laid out on the counter and wondered if Iris had broken some sort of record. In an abrupt bout of curiosity she asked, "What is the longest you've ever taken to find the right wand for someone, Mister Ollivander?"

The old man looked up at her surprise before waving his hand dismissively. "Oh I can assure, your daughter doesn't even fall on the list of longest time I've spent looking for a matching pair. I remember nearly thirty years ago I had a young muggleborn lad come into my shop. Took me four days to match him up!"

"Four days!" James exclaimed incredulously. "Must have been one hell of a wand."

Ollivander nodded his head before falling into silence. Then, he looked at Iris with a curious gaze. "Perhaps…yes…just maybe," he muttered to himself. Lily once again felt the anxiety crawl back into her chest as Ollivander looked back and forth from her daughter to the back of the shop, conspiratorially.

He rushed into the rear of his shop and hurriedly returned with another box. As he laid the box down, he took out a sleek brown wand with near holy reverence. "Why not," he said. "Give this one a wave why don't you." He said with a wide grin.

Iris took hold of the wand and there a rush of magic that ran through the small store as the wand let out a shower of silver sparks. Iris's look of joy at finally finding her wand was only surpassed by the absolutely positive look of delight on Ollivander's face. The man looked like he was about to start jumping up and down in joy, if the way he was squirming was any indication to go by.

"Marvelous, absolutely marvelous! And entirely unexpected if not amusing!" The wand crafter said with glee.

"Any particular reason it's unexpected, or amusing for that matter," Lily asked tentatively.

Ollivander smiled at her and then returned his attention to Iris. "I've remembered every single wand I've ever sold Miss Iris Potter. Yours is twelve inches of Holly and a single dragon heartstring. An Artic Steelwing to be precise."

From next to her, James let out an appreciative whistle. Both mother and daughter looked towards him with curios glances. When he didn't say anything, Lily nudged him with her elbow. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "It's just that Steelwings are a rather infamous breed. They have the hardest hide of any species of dragon and are considered some of the most vicious and violent creatures to ever exist."

Iris looked at her wand with new appreciation. Lily on the other hand, didn't like the idea of her daughter associated with form of viciousness or violence, thank you very much. "Indeed Mister Potter however, the reason I find that you are destined for that wand is well, as I said, I remember every wand I've sold."

Lily wasn't quite happy about how Ollivander's voice became eerily quiet and how the wand crafter peered down into her daughter's eyes. "The particular dragon which your wand's core originated from, gave one other sample. Just. One. Other."

The old man leaned back and in a grave voice and said, "And how well I remember that wand. Thirteen inches. Elder wood. Tremendously powerful wand meant for channeling raw power in a brutal fashion. Much like the dragon it derives its magic from. You see Miss Potter, it's both unexpected and amusing for me because the_ brother_ of your wand…rests in the hand of _your _brother."

* * *

**Potter Manor**

That night, Lily Potter awoke from a terrifying nightmare. Carefully she lifted the sheets off of her as to not wake James. Grabbing her robe from on the nightstand, she tightly wrapped it around her body and walked out of her bedroom.

It wasn't unusual for her to have nightmares. She's been having the same one over and over again since that Halloween night ten years ago. The night that ruined everything for her family. The one that thrust a terrible burden on her daughter and put their small family out on the lime light.

But this night it was different. Yes, she saw Voldemort telling her to stand aside. Yes, she saw herself pleading with that monster to spare her daughter. She, even remembered watching from under the part of the ceiling that had collapsed on her as the Dark Lord strode cast the unforgivable curse.

Yet, this time, she also saw something she didn't remember seeing before. She remembered as the flash of green light draw itself into an equally vibrant pair of green eyes. Green eyes that morphed into a staunch grey that robbed the world of all color and seemed to drown out all form of emotion.

Lily's hand fell on a doorknob and gently, she twisted it. Quietly pushing open the door, she peeked inside, as to not awake the occupant of the room, who no doubt, was sleeping at this hour. But what she saw surprised her. The room was completely spartan, without any form of decoration or decorum, save for a simple writing desk and several bookshelves neatly lined and filled with numerous works. But what really caught her attention, was the perfectly made bed that lay in the middle of the room. The perfectly made bed…that was empty.

In hoarse and broken whisper, Lily Potter said, "Where's my son?"

* * *

**Vienna, Austria**

"Aufhalten!"

Daphne Greengrass carelessly flicked her wrist, resulting in a flash of green light escaping from her wand and the man before her to crumple lifelessly to the ground. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the sight of the filthy corpse. The minions of the minor dark wizard she was exterminating were proving to be quite the headache.

Despite the fact they were dropping like flies, there seemed to be no end to them. By her count, there were eleven dead already. She hoped her brother would hasten whatever it was he was doing. Keeping this up was getting rather tedious.

Four more wizards came barreling down the hall throwing curses at her. Their aim was so poor that she didn't even bother raising a shield. She snapped a killing curse at one of them before raising her free hand and gesturing in the direction of her attackers.

The jet of green light squarely impacted one of them in the face, causing him to fly backwards dead. As for the other three…well…from her out-stretched hands erupted tendrils of black and midnight blue energies. The shadows along the passage ways seemed to twist and come to life. Obviously quite frightened, her remaining three assailants ceased their attack and watched with fascinated horror. However, when the shadows on the ground lashed out and took hold of them, they started screaming rather frantically.

She watched dispassionately as they were dragged down into the endless cesspool of darkness.

"A little too much for simple grunts, wouldn't you say?" Said a smooth male voice from behind.

Daphne didn't even bother turning around, she did however, roll her eyes. Her brother was never one for theatrics. In fact, he was quite famous for lacking any sense of humor. "Did you find whatever it is we're looking for?" She asked somewhat impatiently.

"No," He replied. "It wasn't in the vault they had hidden away. Perhaps our host has it on him?"

Her face flashed in irritation as she turned around to glare at him. Upon finally seeing him, her annoyance at him was temporarily lost. He was quite different in appearance, when compared to her. Whereas her hair was a bright golden blonde that simmered down to her waist, his was rich ebony that neatly waved around his ears. Her eyes were a dark sapphire blue while his were a stunning and vibrant emerald. He was also taller than her and had broader shoulder. Of course, seeing on how he was a male and she female, it was a given.

"And if he doesn't?" She asked with her arms crossed and a glare balefully digging into him.

He met her dark stare with an impassive look of his own and simply shrugged his shoulders. "It's here…somewhere. My source clearly saw the stone in the hands of this parading fool."

"Your source?" She deadpanned. "You mean the poor soul who's mind you tore apart?"

He shrugged again and Daphne was suddenly filled with the urge to hit her brother over the head. Preferably with something that was rather heavy. She shook her head. For all his genius he could be such a barbarian at times.

As they made their way through the winding passageways through the lair of a small time dark lord, Daphne mused over the last year and a half of her life. She had been half way through her first year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when her brother had 'awakened' her. While she was incredibly thankful to have returned to her former-self, she was _beyond _angry at the situation she had found herself in. Practically stripped of all of her former glory, Daphne was reduced to a shell of her former self.

'_To think that stupid overgrown lizard managed to succeed,' _she seethed.

Thankfully, her brother had been 'awakened' for many years and had slowly been building his own power. Apparently, by finding remnants of their past and absorbing them, they could gradually regain their former power. She still remembered when her brother had explained all of this to her for the first time. Suffice it to say she was thoroughly surprised that out of everyone at Hogwarts, it would be _Harry Potter _who was the reawakened form of one of her brothers.

As they turned a corner, they were met with two more wizards who were standing guard in front of a pair of doors. "Hör auf! Oder wir werden dich töten!" One of them barked out. Daphne grimaced. She did not speak one word of German. Which was quite the disadvantage when visiting Austria but, then again, it's not like she needed to know the language when all she was doing was killing whoever she met.

Her brother simple raised a hand and made a twisting motion. There was a sickening 'crunch' as both Austrian wizards had their necks soundly snapped back by invisible stems of magic. Not even waiting for their corpses to hit the ground, her brother motioned with two fingers, blowing the doors off their hinges and strode through the now gaping hole in the wall.

Daphne sighed. Maybe he did possess a sense of drama but just wasn't aware of it himself.

Following behind his long strides, she noted they entered what appeared to be a rather magnificent study. The room itself was quite large and the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with bookshelves. At the very end of the room, opposite of the entrance, was an ornate wooden desk and lavish chair. The chair was occupied by an elderly man completely bald at the top and with whisks of grey hair growing down his chin.

The way the man was calmly sitting with his hands folded in front of his face and appraising them with cool expression was somewhat impressive. Well, it wouldbe _entirely_ impressive if the scene wasn't ruined by the thick oaken doors embedded into the wall on either side of him.

All in all, Daphne decided that as far as Dark Lords went, this one looked rather tame and unthreatening. "Geben sie uns den stein." Her brother said. Daphne rolled her eyes. Of course her brother spoke German. Was there anything the one who had 'taken account of everything before it had even happened' couldn't do?

Whatever he said, it had caused the old dark wizard to turn purple with anger. Daphne blinked few times. She didn't think it was healthy for someone of that age to have so many pulsing veins. "Sie schuld an meinem Eigentum? Sie töten meine Männer? Jetzt verlangen sie von mir?!" He roared.

The dark wizard leapt to his feet and drew his wand. Unfortunately for him, before he could even utter a single spell, her brother's hand shot forward and from his finger, white hot lightning arced its way through the air and hit the old wizard. He was thrown from his feet and slammed into the wall. As his body convulsed and twitched with electricity, she watched as her sibling walked forward, whipped out his wand, and said, "**Legilimens**."

As she watched him tear through the wizened old wizards mind, Daphne was reminded as to why she and her other siblings had feared her brother so. It wasn't just his crushing power. It was the viciousness of his mental prowess. Undoubtedly, he was the most intelligent being to come into existence. Void of emotion, his mind ran dozens upon dozens of thoughts all at once. In truth, his brain was entirely akin to that of a machine.

Merciless and ruthless in its pursuit of results; if provided with enough information, his intellect could even predict the future with terrifying accuracy. And it was that near omniscient power that drove _him,_ ironically, insane. He had come to resent all sense of individuality and openly scoffed at the idea of uniqueness. Aptly titled, he _was _the Enemy of Freedom.

Returning her attention to her brother, she noticed that his victim was having a spasm on the floor while blood pooled out from his nose and ears. Letting the spell go, her brother let out a growl of obvious annoyance.

"He doesn't have it does he?" She asked with no semblance of patience.

"No," he said. His mouth twisting in displeasure. "He sold it to some contemporary of his in France…**Avada Kedavra**!"

Daphne scowled in frustration as the green light died down. "I don't have time to galvanize across half of Europe with you! I need to find my sister! Where ever she is, I mean."

"I'm sure she's fine. Knowing her, she's already in some deluded trance due to moon sugar or its potions equivalent."

Daphne's mouth fell open and she stared at him indignantly. She then smacked his arm as hard as she could, not very hard truthfully, and said, "Don't talk about my sister like that!"

"I didn't say a word about Astoria," he said mechanically.

Daphne smacked him again, "Our sister then!"

He raised an eyebrow and gave a questioning look. "Which one would that be? The one with a severe case of necrophilia? The one with all the fetishes for ugly things? The Queen of Self-Importance and Bitchiness? Or the perhaps you mean the one who lies so much she doesn't even believe what comes out of her own mouth?"

The way he so candidly and brazenly spoke about the others in a monotone way nearly set her off into a fit of laughter. She doubted that he was even trying to be funny. To him, they nothing more than just absolute facts, regardless of how silly his words sounded. Of course, she wasn't about to openly mock him. Siblings or not, she wasn't about to try to appeal to his tender mercies. Instead, she settled for smacking his arm once again before crossing her arms in a huff.

"You're so childish Nocturnal," he said right before he pointed his wand at a random book on the desk and muttered, "**Portus**."

"Oh, shut up Jyggalag."

In a flash of blue light, both Deadric Princes disappeared.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ever since all those years ago the Shivering Isles expansion pack came out, I've been a huge fan of Jyggalag. I was really disappointed that he didn't make an appearance in Skyrim. **

**I want to point out that the Princes will be slightly out of character as in my story they are now in the event of having human souls instead of just being deadra. More clarification in the next chapter.**

**Azura, Molag Bal and Hermaeus Mora are all going to make appearances. Tell who else you'd like to see.**

**Hope You Liked and do remember this is my first attempt at Harry Potter so go easy on me.**

**See you next time, NEX**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So it's come to my attention not everyone is familiar with the Elder Scrolls. I've put up some basic info in this chapter as well as on my profile. If you really need a detailed explanation, check out the elderscrolls wiki. There's a full page on the Deadric Princes...numerous actually. **

**I've already written Other Legacy chapter 5 its just that I need it beta'd before uploading.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy and constructive criticism is always appreciated. **

* * *

**Chapter 2: Heart of Order**

As they appeared right outside her family wards, Daphne decided that it would take some getting used to the sensation of apparating. A slight scowl marred her porcelain features. "Your first time apparating?"

She turned to look at Harry and continued to scowl. "You didn't mention how uncomfortable it feels," she said accusingly. He simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "It takes some getting used to and from what I understand side-along apparition is far more uncomfortable than simply going by yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind," she muttered. She looked down at her delicate hands and flexed her fingers. The ambient magic of Oblivion coursing through her, renewing her strength. Together, they had found the Sigil Stone, a creation of the Deadra used to provide energy to numerous powerful artifacts, and drained it of its power. She was stronger, most certainly, but it still wasn't anywhere near the power she once wielded.

"How many more fragments of Oblivion are out there," she asked him. Harry turned towards her and a slight frown formed on his lips. "I doubt there are many. I've only been able to search for them since I began in Hogwarts and since then I've only ever found three, including this one."

"You don't think are very many in world, do you?" She asked.

His mouth twisted. "No. What little remains of that brat of Akatosh's rampage is probably floating between the voids of various planes of existence. I've long come to the conclusion that very little actually fell onto this world."

Daphne looked at him quizzically and asked, "Is there no way to obtain those fragments in those dimensional gaps."

"As it stands right now, no," He said while shaking his head. "Unless you somehow possess the ability to tear through the fabric of reality to reach them."

She rolled her eyes. If she was already that powerful, she would hardly feel the need to hunt down relics of their old home and absorb their natural power. "I'd best get inside. I don't want the house-elves to notice us. That would be lead to an inquisition from daddy."

It didn't escape her, the way his eyes twinkled in amusement at the way she addressed her father. There was no reason she couldn't be affectionate with her family so she refused to be embarrassed over her choice in diction.

He nodded his head and said, "I will see you tomorrow at the train station then. Take care to stay out of trouble until then, Nocturnal."

She smiled up at him mischievously. "I'm not the one abusing my power right and left, now am I?" She said cheekily and earning a twitch at the lips from him. "Good night dearest brother," she said before drawing on her magic and disappearing into the night.

* * *

Harry watched as Daphne seemed to melt right into the shadows of the night. A small smile played on his lips as he analyzed the magic she just used. Shadow Magic was a very obscure and poorly understood branch of the arcane. Even he, with all his genius, did not fully understand its mechanics. Of course, that was simply due to the lack of information on his part, rather than his understanding capabilities.

As Harry turned and walked down the road that led away from Greengrass Manor, he once again marveled at the difference between the current world and its past incarnation. Mortals had made advancements that were unheard of in the old world. No to mention the sheer size of their population. A single world populated with billions of lives. By the time their old world had come to an end, he estimated there approximate less than five hundred million mortals running around on the dirt ball of a planet.

The Deadra obviously had a bigger impact on the mortal realm than he realized.

On that thought, he stopped walking and began to ponder on the lack of Deadra in this new world. He had read through numerous works and scholarly findings and nowhere did this world hold any record of the Deadra.

Harry shook his head.

It would do no good to dwell on the past. His efforts were best suited to concentration on more pressing issues. With that, he spun on his heel and apparated home.

As the sensation of great pressure being applied to all sides dissipated, Harry looked around his room. It was the same as he left.

"H-Harry," a hesitant voice called out.

At first, he froze and went wide eyed however, he quickly schooled his expression and turned around. The look on his mother's face was clear and easy to read. Absolute shock and apprehension, openly written on her expression. However, when he took notice of her eyes that were a mirror to his own, he could see small amount of desperation in those moist emeralds.

He noted how her hands shook as she reached out for him and the desperation quickly mixed with fear. "B-Baby, where have you been and…Merlin…when did you learn to apparate?" Her sheer confusion and erratic state of mind was quite obvious as her magic latched on to him in what he could only call a mother's anxiety.

Not even batting an eyelash, he swiftly whipped out his wand and, before she could process what was happening, he whispered, "**Obliviate.**"

The soft white glow of the memory charm seeped into her body and he saw it take hold as her eyes glazed over. Then, with practiced ease, he used his legilemancy to send a mental command for her to return to her bedroom and go to sleep without waking up his father.

Not even a shred of guilt wormed its way into his mind as he watched her turn around and softly walk down the hall, back to her bed. He continued to wait at his door even as she turned the hall and he could only hear the soft patter of her footsteps. Only when he was sure that he heard the soft click of his parents' bedroom door close, did he closed his own door with a sigh.

The one thing that had carried over from his tenure as Jyggalag, aside from his higher than average magical power, was his incredible intellect and mind. His comprehensive capabilities were well beyond that of any mortal. Consequentially, he was also a master of the mind arts. He undoubtedly, was the single most accomplished Occulumens and Legilimens in the world. And he had been using that power for years to alter his parents' perception of reality. There was a strong spell on them that they would ignore him for the most part and leave him to his own devices.

Harry was no fool. He was entirely mortal now and he knew what that entailed.

Deadra, by nature, lacked souls. Ergo, their spectrum of emotions were equivalent to those of a squirrel. The more powerful Deadra may appear to express more complex emotions than baseless desire and anger, but it was nothing more than a sham. They were a cruel and heartless race that thrived on instinct and instinct alone.

Mortals, or rather humans, were the opposite. Souls, were a thing of pure desire based off the truths of love, joy, compassion and hope. As well as darker truths such as hate, rage, malice and fear. Such was their nature. He had discerned this years ago as a Lord of Oblivion. In his role of Prince of Order and Logical Deduction, he had taken account of all things including souls. And he knew all too well, that as a Deadra, he would never feel them thus, never be able to fully understand them. It was ironic really, that now that he was finally capable of _feeling _emotions, he no longer held the capacity to fully and completely comprehend them.

Though, there were times, when the Prince in him rode strongest, he contemplated killing off his family to relive himself of that burden and the obvious weakness they represented. However, he never actually fully committed to those plans. Try as he might, he was no longer a Deadra Lord in full. He possessed the body and soul of a human.

It would be illogical and a complete waste of time to try and instill the entire mindset of Jyggalag. He was Harry Potter now. And he would put all his effort into making this new identity, this new form, as great as his old one.

Harry walked over and laid himself down on his mattress and pressed his wand to his temple. He really didn't understand why the rest of the Magical World, insisted on falling asleep the normal way. It was much more efficient to cast a sleeping charm on yourself and skip the wasted minutes it took to _actually_ fall asleep.

* * *

"Iris, sweetheart, are you all ready? Are you sure you have everything packed? What about your-"

"I'm fine mom, sheesh," Iris said while attempting to back away from her mother's fussing. "Leave her alone Lils, we already double checked her belongings last night as well as this morning." James said to his wife.

Lily Potter was a near mess. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears and she looked torn between pride and sorrow. Her daughter was finally going to Hogwarts after all these years. "You'd best get in the train now sweetie," James said. "Any minute now, families will pouring onto the platform."

Lily and James had decided to get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters early on to avoid being gaped at like as if they were at a bloody zoo. Right now, there were only a few families on the platform and most of them were far too occupied with their own departing children to pay any attention to the Girl-Who-Lived.

As James carried Iris's trunk onto the train Lily, pulled her daughter aside into a tight hug. 'Remember Iris," Lily said caringly. "There are people at Hogwarts who would attempt to befriend you for your fame alone, so be careful to who you talk to."

Iris nodded her head in understanding.

Lily knew her daughter was quite mature for age and possessed a sensible head on her shoulders. "If you ever run into trouble head straight to Professor McGonagall or Professor Flitwick. And even if he doesn't act like it, Severus will also provide you with any help if you need it, okay?" At one point in time, Lily would have told her daughter to also seek aid from Dumbledore but, the Headmaster had been a sore spot for years now. That old man liked to meddle far too much for her liking.

"Got it mom," Iris said as she returned her hug. After she pulled away, James pulled Iris into his own arms and said, "Pretty much what your mom said, kid. And make sure to write at least once a week. If you don't, your mother will end up storming the castle due to her overactive imagination."

Iris laughed in her father's embrace, even as her mother whacked him on the back of his head. Pulling back, but not before gently kissing Iris on the head, James said, "I know you'll make us proud Iris. Just remember to do your best. That's all that really matters."

Smiling up warmly at them, Lily's tears finally spilled over when her daughter, "I love you dad, love mum." Grabbing her daughter once more, Lily squeezed tightly. "Oh, I love you too, my baby." Lily finally let go, when James gently nudged her.

"Bye," Iris waved happily as she disappeared into the train.

Lily entwined her arms around her husbands and buried her face into his shoulder. "Oh relax, Lils. It's not like it's the end of the world. This time tomorrow we'll be reading a letter saying how amazing Hogwarts is. How spectacular the view from the lake is, how creepy the Baron looks during the fast and what house the Hat put her in. Probably even who snores the loudest in her dorm."

She smacked James on the arm playfully, his lighthearted banter somewhat dispelling the somber mood that had settled on her. "The house is going to be so quiet now," she said as they walked over to the barrier into the muggle world.

"I'm sure it'll back to its regular level when Sirius comes over for a visit." James said with amusement clearly written in his voice.

'How is he, by the way?" Lily asked.

"Not happy at the moment." James sighed "He was called in early this morning by Amelia. There was a high profile string of murders in Paris last night."

"_Paris_?" Lily asked skeptically. "What does that have to do with him?"

"One of the victims was a visiting British wizard. Six bodies found in total. The DMLE sent Sirius over as it's going to be a joint investigation between our Aurors and the French."

"Did he tell you when he was coming back?"

"No, it sounds to me like it's going to be one of those investigations that lead nowhere."

Lily sighed. "So all the kids are gone and out of the house."

"We could always have another," James whispered suggestively in her ear. Lily smiled up at him coyly. "Sure, but you're going to have to carry it around for nine months."

"Never mind then," he said sharply, turning about face. And causing lily to laugh at him.

Just as they were about to walk through the barrier, James came to an abrupt halt, causing lily to nearly trip as she was still holding on to his arm. "James, watch what you're-" Lily, never finished her sentence because when she looked up at his face, she caught notice of the heavy frown that was on his face.

"James," she said worriedly. "James, what is it?"

"Is-is that Harry…over there?" He said.

Lily followed his gaze over to where he was looking and was met with the sight of her son standing a fair distance away with another family. Lily had to blink a few times as something swept through her mind. Her son.

Why did those words sound so foreign to her?

She followed James as he quickly strode over to where Harry was speaking with the other family. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was the Greengrass family he was talking with. Since when did Harry know the Greengrasses? Lily only knew of them by.

Michael Greengrass, was a highly respect member of the Wizengamot. She remembered him being a few years older than her during Hogwarts. He was quite noticeable with his strong features, dark blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. His wife on the other hand, was the complete opposite of him. Lily soundly remembered Catarina Greengrass as they had been in the same year. However, as she was in Ravenclaw and Lily herself was a Gryffindor, they rarely spoke.

Catarina was what one would describe as a true Grecian beauty. Lightly tanned skin, waves of rich sable hair that rolled down to her waist and delicate features that would put Aphrodite to shame, she was considered to be one of the most beautiful women in all of Magical Europe. She remembered a few years ago, where a magazine had done an article on a property owned by the Greengrass family on the French Riviera. Half the time, the piece had spoken about the beauty of the Lady rather than the actual place.

And her daughters were just as beautiful as she was. One of them was obviously the elder. She had blonde hair except her hair was brighter than her father's yet, just as luscious as her mother's. The younger daughter looked to be a miniature clone of her mother.

As they neared the Greengrass family, Michael took notice of them and inclined his head in greeting. "Lord and Lady Potter, a very good morning to the both of you." James shook his hand and lily had to hide the small blush that crept up her cheeks when Michael pressed his lips to her hand. It wasn't her fault the man was ridiculously handsome and used to be the fantasy of every girl back in Hogwarts!

"Lord Greengrass, it's good to see you again. I don't think we've spoken since the Wizengamot congregation back in early June." James formally. Neither Lily nor he were particularly good at pulling off the pureblood routine.

"Yes, it has been quite been quite some time since we last spoke, hasn't it?" Michael said in his deep voice. "I believe your daughter is about to enter Hogwarts this year, no?"

"Yes," James said, somewhat warily. "We're somewhat worried for her but what parent wouldn't worry for their child?"

"I can entirely understand," Catarina said, taking both Lily and James by surprise. Women rarely spoke in front of their husbands in pureblood society. "Our own youngest is about to depart but, oh! Where are my manners? These are my daughters. My eldest Daphne and my youngest Astoria."

As both girls curtsied, Lily smiled at them and said, "A pleasure to meet you both. You have beautiful daughters, Lady Greengrass." Catarina gave a genuine smile and said, "Please, call me Catarina and thank you. A mother's pride are her children."

With the formal ice now broken, Lily visibly relaxed and returned Catarina's smile. She was beginning to like this woman. "And how proud you must be," Catarina said as she gestured towards Harry. "With a brilliant son like yours I'd be showing him off to all my friends."

Here, both Lily and James froze. Brilliant son…Lily was beginning to feel something unpleasant wash through her. When she finally looked over to the young man that was part of their group, Lily nearly fell into shock.

For what seemed to be the first time, Lily Potter was seeing her son. He had all the strong features of his father, except, his face wasn't partially concealed behind thick round glasses. His pulsing emerald green eyes were shining with unmarred intelligence. Also unlike his father, Harry's hair was neatly swept back, with a single strand curving loosely over his forehead. But what really captured Lily's attention, was sheer void of expression on his face.

'_That's not how a child is supposed to look at his mother,' _Lily thought as her heart seemed to clench.

"I believe," her son said in a mechanical voice. "We'd best be going."

"Wait, Harry!" James blurted out as Harry tuned to leave. Her son turned back around and looked at his father with that same blank look. "Why weren't you there to see Iris off?"

There was a moment of silence and Lily swore she saw the elder Greengrass daughter role her eyes. "Why would I need to see her off?" Harry said.

His question surprised both of them and Lily frowned as James said, "Harry, she's your sister! She's going to Hogwarts for nearly a whole year!"

"Am I not also going?"

James opened his mouth but quickly he shut it as he realized just how stupid he was sounding and went red in embarrassment. Why would Harry have to see Iris off? He's be seeing every day for the next nine months.

Lily, for her part, was wondering when Harry had gotten so tall. He was nearly as tall as her now. Perhaps a centimeter or two shy of her own height. It was strange. Neither she nor James were that tall when they were Harry's…

Lily's eyes widened as dread and panic slammed into her heart.

This was _Harry. Her _Harry. Her _son. _Of course she knew how old he was! Of course she knew when his birthday was!

'_So why…why can't I ever remember celebrating it!' _She screamed inside her mind.

She dug her nails painfully into the palms of her hands and bit her lip. The youngest girl, Astoria said, "We'd better hurry before the train fills up."

"You're right," Michael said. "It's going to get crowded really fast."

"Ohh, do look after your sister for me, won't you Daphne?" Catarina said as she embraced her youngest. "Of course mother," Daphne said as she walked over to her father. Michael gently pushed a strand of hair behind Daphne's hair and kissed her brow. "Have a wonderful year darling."

"Thank you father," she responded.

As Astoria moved out of her mother's arms and into her father's, Catarina walked over to Harry and embraced him warmly.

Ache swept through Lily as her insides twisted and churned at the scene before. The way Catarina was embracing Harry, _her _Harry, one would think she was embracing her own son. "Thank you for always looking after Daphne, dear. You have no idea what it means to us that she has such a wonderful friend with her best interests at heart." As she stepped back, Catarina pressed her lips to his cheek.

Lily could feel blood pool in her as she bit down even harder on her lips. She could slowly feel her magic becoming more erratic and wild. It wanted to tear into this woman who dared to be so familiar with her son. Lily was on the verge of lashing out when something stopped her cold and shattered her heart.

It was small…but it was there.

The palest of smiles adorned Harry's thin lips as he gazed at Catarina with just the faintest hint of fondness.

When?

When was the last time Harry had smiled at her? When was the last time had she embraced her son? Why couldn't she remember kissing Harry when _he _had set off for Hogwarts?

Lily acted on instinct and moved to grab Harry in desperation. However, as if sensing her intent, he spun around to face her and together, twin pair of eyes locked with each one another. As wet, naked emeralds peered into hard glittering ones, she felt herself lose all form of control. Something alien seemed to wash over her and she couldn't move her body.

"Come on Harry, let's get going," Astoria said as she gripped Harry's hand.

_'No...don't go...stay with me my baby...stay with mommy,' _Lily was wailing inside of her mind.

Lily could only watch in horror as her son walked away with the Greengrass sisters. That should be Iris holding his hand instead of Astoria. That should be her, instead of Daphne, walking arm in arm with him.

Slowly, Harry turned around and looked back at her. Lily felt hope and she could feel her strength in her legs again. Yet, just as she took a step forward, that feeling came back. That weight on her shoulders returned. She felt like crying in desperation as her son's eyes seemed to lose their color and dimmed. His features remained impassive and cold.

And then he walked away.

Lily wanted to scream as the tears freely fell from her eyes.

'_Don't go baby…please don't go…..come back to me…..Harry, please….' _

* * *

**Author's Note: As a self professed momma's boy, those last few lines were tough on my ticker. Anyways, this was more of a background drop. Next chapter will set up characters , plotline and all that other wonderful crap.  
**

**Anyone out there with experience as a beta? Not just this story but my Naruto ones as well need a bit of touch up. Contact me if interested.**

**NEX is out! Peace!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: My hand is cramping...**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Train of Consequences **

As Harry and Daphne settled into an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Astoria excused herself wanting to spend the ride with her own friends that were starting the school year with her. Harry sat down opposite of Daphne and observed the human traffic outside the window. The platform was quickly filling up with numerous families, ready to send off their children to the premier school of magic in Great Britain.

"There was a time I used to think them so foolish.'

Harry slowly turned his head to find that Daphne was gazing at the mass of humans, a sober look sketched cleanly on her face. "That they would spend the little time they had in a futile attempt to leave a lasting legacy. Why spend time trying to accomplish something you'll never even see? Why not just enjoy your limited time and let all your stress go?"

Harry frowned as he contemplated her words. Why _did_ mortals spend their lives trying to leave behind a trace of their all too short lives? The answer was simple. They wanted some proof for future generation that they _had _existed.

Daphne had turned to look at him, and judging by the look in her eye, she had arrived at the same conclusion he had. "To be remembered, to pass on into ruin, knowing that _what _you achieved mattered. "

Daphne's gaze hardened as she peered deep into his emerald eyes. "A sense of achievement that we Deadra, as immortal existences that embody change, could never truly experience."

His eyes narrowed dangerously as he realized what she was trying to convey to him and attempting to get him to understand. "How I treat my family is no concern of yours, Nocturnal." He said in a low voice.

"You've been given a chance to experience something that was beyond us previously Jyggalag. Don't waste it."

He opened his mouth to give a scathing reply but rationalized that there was nothing to gain by slighting Daphne. If anything, it would only lead to a troublesome headache down the line. "Very well," He said while lowering his head in acknowledgement. "I will…consider your words."

She nodded in content, knowing that was as much she could hope to get from him. Soon enough, both fell into a comfortable silence. Harry took out his Ancient Runes text book. He would be starting his third year and he had taken Runes, as well as Arithmancy, as his choice of electives.

He was more than pleased to find that Arithmancy was a major part of this world's magic. Seeing as how he was the Lord of Logical Deduction, it was child's play for him to understand the concepts that ruled over the laws of magic. Already his mind was starting to unravel the mysteries of the unknown formulae of the numbers seven and thirteen. It would take him a few years granted, seeing as he was limited by a mortal mind rather than the limitless potential of a Prince's mind, but figure them out he would.

However, seeing as how it _was _so simple for him, he decided to focus on runes for the time being. An inordinate number of magicks could be utilized with the proper array structure and layout. It was fascinating how mortals in this world compensated for the sheer lack of power the ones in the old world possessed by creating incredibly complex weaves of magic.

He had several theories on how he could apply runes in various scenarios and schemes that would be immeasurably valuable in the foreseeable future. Already he had created several theoretical runic matrices based on Oblivion script. All that was left, was to test them out.

As the train began to set off, he swiftly flipped through the pages of his runes' textbook. Having an eidetic memory and the comprehensive capacity well beyond that of a certifiable genius made learning more of a chore than an actual effort.

He looked up when a sudden knock sounded on their compartment door. The door slid open as Daphne gave a curt 'enter' and revealed two lanky red heads that looked exactly alike to one another. Harry's lips curled.

The Weasely twins had quite the reputation at Hogwarts. Being in the same year as himself and Daphne, Harry had often dealings with the two. An unfortunate circumstance on his part and one made even worse by the fact that Daphne wouldn't let him curse the two.

The Lady Luck and Mistress of the Night was the patron Prince to all thieves and tricksters. And being exactly that, the Weasely twins had Daphne's support in their endeavors. Unvoiced, though it may be. And on more than one occasion she had warned him off from interfering in their affairs as that would be directly interfering with 'her' domain of influence. Something he shouldn't be motivated to do unless he wanted her to respond in kind.

"Well well, precious twin of mine. It seems we've run into Hogwarts' most famous pair," Fred said. Harry could always tell them apart. Being a master legilimens was quite an advantage after all.

"You mean more famous than us, dearest Forge," said the other twin in dramatic horror.

"But of course my dear fellow. How on earth are we to ever measure up to the Ice Queen and Untouchable Genius? Woe be to any who stand in their path."

Harry looked over to Daphne and gave her a very dry look. Her eyes were shining in amusement while his were clearly telling her to 'get rid of them.' He hated how his year mates referred to him as thus. He was the Deadric Prince of Order. It was his nature to preform exemplary in a controlled environment like that of a school. Not only was he absolutely remarkable in his studies but, he never once gave cause for complaint from his educators.

Nose upturned, back perfectly straight and face as impassive as it could be, Daphne projected the image of a textbook pureblood scion. "Hmph! And what, peons, might I ask, are you doing in this fashion of ours?"

"Do forgive us, Your Iciness ma'am," Fred started.

"But we are but poor siblings looking for our mindless younger brother," George finished.

"You see my dear Frigid Lady, he is trying to woo but a poor innocent thing."

"And in a sense of chivalry, we wish to save yon damsel-"

"From brainless beast on the prowel."

"To keep dire trauma away from young lass."

"It seems to be our most noble task."

The twins stopped talking and looked at each other strangely. Daphne and Harry exchanged a quick glance to confirm that neither of them were dreaming this up. "Did we just rhyme, Fred?"

"I do believe we did George."

"How clever of us then dear twin!"

"I'd be inclined to say that I'm quite brilliant."

"I do believe _I'm _quite inclined to say that_ I'm_ brilliant.'

"So we're in agreement then?"

"Oh yes."

"We're brilliant!" They chorused together.

"If you're quite done, then," Harry cut into their act curtly.

The two twins took a step back and put an arm around each and looked at one another. "Me thinks Mister Potter is getting annoyed." Fred said thoughtfully.

"Really now?" George said while putting on a shocked expression. "How annoyed do you think he'll be when he learns that ickle Ronniekins is pursuing his sister, the Girl-Who-Lived?"

"Best not wait around and see mate."

"Run?"

"Run."

Together they sped off and away from their compartment leaving Daphne to stifle her laughter behind her hand and Harry who now had a dangerous twitch next to his right eye.

Fred and George Weasely spent the majority of their Hogwarts days skipping classes and coming up with elaborate pranks. They were lazy, immature and very much inclined to procrastinate. And the worst part was that the two of them were actually quite intelligent. It drove Harry into a great of frustration to see two individuals with such incredible potential waste it.

Harry slid the compartment door closed and this time put numerous locking charms as well as a notice-me-not charm. He could go without any more intrusions from now on. However the moment he put his wand down, he saw that his layers of spell work immediately being taken down. Rather put off that his magic was being undone, he strove to find the culprit. It came as quite a shock when he realized it was Daphne who had undone his work.

"What did you do that for?" He asked rather irked.

Daphne sent him a small glare. "What if Astoria comes looking for me and she can't find the compartment? I will not have my sister wander aimlessly because of your dislike for the majority of the population of the world."

Harry rolled his eyes. No matter what world they seemed to be in, Daphne would always have a large part of her heart occupied by a sister. "Speaking of little sisters," Daphne began and Harry was forced to suppress a groan. "Are you not going to find yours and make sure no, what was it they said? 'Brainless beast on the prowl' will take advantage of her?"

"I'm quite sure that Iris is capable of taking care of herself." Harry said stiffly. Daphne smiled knowingly at him as he shifted in seat. "Besides, if the youngest Weasely brat dares to actually try something, I'll reduce him to ashes," he muttered.

"Aww, big bad Jyggalag cares for his little sister," Daphne mocked.

"There is no such thing," Harry sniffed. "It is simply my responsibility as her older brother and as the future Lord Potter to make sure that no harm befalls her."

Harry quickly fixed Daphne with a glare and his magic started to rise with his growing ire. Daphne quickly dropped the subject as she knew not to push him too far. Although she kept the teasing smile at her face as her eyes dark blue eyes sparkled impishly. Harry continued to glower at her but, slowly, his face began to morph into one of confusion mingled with surprise. He let his magic surge and reach out.

Daphne lost the smile on her face and quickly frowned. "What's the matter," she asked in all seriousness. "Do you not feel it? There's an…echo…"

Harry could feel Daphne's magic layer with his own as she also reached out to find the anomaly he detected. His own mercurial silver magic blended with her waves of black and midnight blue. Together they found the source and tried to root it out. Almost immediately there was a response.

A dusky gold inlaid with vibrant reds answered their call and surged forward to meet them. It was a familiar presence and Harry could swear that, while the depth of the magic was different, its nature was nearly identical to Daphne's.

He sent out his mind along the currents of his magic. It was the one highest applications of legilimancy possible. So long as his magic had contact with his target, he could send out a psychic link regardless of barriers or distance. He fully dove into the center of the beings mindscape.

All the world around him churned and spun as he was surrounded by an entirely different scene. He was now standing in the middle of field. A field filled with rolling hills covered with roses sticking out of the ground and rose petals softly dancing through the air. The sky itself was marked in twain by shades of the sky. On one horizon, the sun sat, creeping over the edge and illuminating a steadily blighting sky. On the other end however, stars swam in an endless sea in stark midnight as the last rays of sunlight sank into the line of sight.

'_A mindscape. And not just any mindscape,'_ He mused.

Mirth washed over him as he realized the prevalent themes of this particular mind. Suddenly he could feel a pressure being applied to him. The mind was obviously trying to eject his intrusion and not wanting to get into an altercation, he acquiesced.

As he pulled back completely, he could feel the golden-red magic roil with anger. Daphne' magic responded to the possible threat as her magic began to rise up in great waves of power but she held back from striking as she could feel a sense of amusement rolling off Harry's magic. As he pulled back, so did she.

"Jyggalag, who was that?" Daphne asked with some hint of suspicion.

Harry gave a light chuckle as he fixed her with a curious look. "You meant to tell me _you_ of all people didn't identify that magic?" Oh this was too rich. He'd figured that she'd already be running down the hall in exhilaration. "Just answer my Jyggalag!" She said in a huff.

"No need," he smiled. "Your enigma is about to make itself known soon enough."

True enough, the door slid open not a few seconds later. In walked a short, petite girl with pale golden hair that swayed over shoulders. She had bright blue eyes that were almost impossibly big and a rather dreamy smile on her face. Harry wasn't fooled, though. He could sense the displeasure coming off of her in waves. As she came to stand in front of him, Harry raised an eyebrow in question. An amused smile played across his face.

Smack!

A sharp pain tore through him as the newcomer's diminutive fist made solid impact with the side of his jaw. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's rude to sift through other people's minds, Jyggalag?" She asked with the same faraway smile on her face. "Possibly," he said as he rolled his jaw. "But I believe I was too busy doing the same to her to pay close attention. But you probably already knew that, didn't you, Azura?"

Harry caught the look on Daphne's face as he said the last word and inwardly decided to one day have an artist look at this memory and produce a portrait of her expression. It'd make a wonderful blackmail material.

Azura turned her back to him and appraised Daphne who was still staring at her in shock and said, "Nocturnal, so good to finally see you sister. How have you been?" Daphne continued to stare at her. Harry rolled his eyes and said. "It seems you've rendered her speechless."

Azura opened her mouth to say something but before any sound could come out, Daphne embraced her in a tight hug. The small girl was nearly lost from view as the much taller Daphne completely engulfed her.

Soon enough, the two were talking in rapid-fire Tamreilic, the now lost language of the country of Cyrodil. Harry watched the two with disguised interest. While technically speaking, the Deadric Princes were considered 'siblings' it was only Azura and Nocturnal that acted as if they were. The rest of their kind was content to scheme and make power ploys against one another. These two always watched each other.

Several minutes passed and as the sisters spoke, Harry added his own two cents every now and then. He learned of how Azura was now Luna Lovegood and that she was a first year at Hogwarts. In turn, Harry and Daphne told her about their own situation and how they met up with one another.

"How did you awaken?" Harry asked.

"What do you mean," said Luna as she turned to look at him confusedly.

"From my own experiences," Harry said. "There is one of two ways to regain our memories as Princes. One, is to be awoken by another Prince, as in the case of Nocturnal, or to be subjected to a great magical trauma, as was mine."

Luna seemed to pale slightly and, noticing this, Daphne shot a glare towards him before putting a comforting arm around her. "My mother was experimenting with spell creation. I was some distance away when there was an accident and the spell residue caused a magical backlash. I was hospitalized but…my mother didn't make it as she was in the epicenter of the explosion. This was nearly four years ago."

Daphne hugged Luna closer to herself and Harry looked at the youngest Prince with a somber expression. "My condolences," he said quietly. Luna nodded her head and then said, "What about you? What caused you to remember?"

"October thirty-fist, nineteen eighty-one." Was all he offered. And truthfully? It was all that was needed. That particular night was quite infamous throughout the magical world.

After a minute of silences between the three Princes Luna lifted her head from where she was staring at the ground and asked, "Do you know how we ended up as we are? How we came to be mortal?"

Harry frowned at her. "You do not remember?"

Luna shook her head.

Daphne said, "I can't remember either, even after Jyggalag filled me in."

Harry nodded at her words and said, "When I first awoke, I was beyond confused and it took nearly three years for my memories to settle into my mind. I would have thought you would be able to remember seeing as you've been awake far longer than Nocturnal."

Luna shrugged, not knowing what to say. "Perhaps it's the difference in the nature of our accidents?" She mused.

"Perhaps," Daphne said.

"Regardless," Harry said. "We have digressed from your question."

"Yes," Luna said. "Tell me. Just what, in the name of oblivion happened, Jyggalag?"

Harry's face turned sour as he said, "Akatosh's little brat happened, that's what."

Luna blinked a few times as if she misheard. "_Alduin_?!" she exclaimed incredulously. "You're telling me Alduin actually succeeded?"

If possible, Harry's face soured even more. "Unfortunately, yes. For one reason or another, the supreme idiot decided to send his equally idiotic son back. And _this _time without a Dragonborn as an insurance policy. Naturally the rest of us ended footing the bill as Alduin served out his role as World-Eater."

"I can't believe it!" Luna cried. "That bloody overgrown lizard did all of this?"

"Oh no," Harry said while shaking his head. "It gets even better."

"Wonderful," Luna said sarcastically. "Let's hear it then"

"I'm still having a hard time believing it," Daphne said.

"Anu and Padomay, in their _infinite wisdom_ decided to restart the whole world. And do they create it from themselves as they did last time? No. They take the remnants of the old world to make the new one."

Luna groaned into her hands. "Ohh…why did _we _have to get stuck with those two as our primordials? With all the rust of lying dormant for millennia, I'd be surprised if they could manage half a brain between the two of them."

"My shared sentiments," said Harry, causing Daphne to snort.

"But wait," Luna said while suddenly looking up. "That still doesn't explain what _we're _doing here. Shouldn't we be…let's say non-existent?"

Harry gave her a mechanical look before saying, "I believe you are underestimating just how strongly we were tied to the Planes of Oblivion. Do not forget, we were as much as part of the void as our realms we reigned over were."

"So does that mean all the Princes have been revived?" Luna asked.

"Not necessarily, no." Harry stated. "It could be, that a few of the others never awoke and lived out the life of a mortal. It could also be that they have yet to be born into the world. Equally possible they are already awakened Princes in the world somewhere and have been so for a long time."

A silence fell over the three of them for several minutes as Luna digested the information that Harry just delivered. He glanced out the window and pondered various possibilities as the Highlands of Scotland passed by. "But wait," Daphne said. Harry turned to look at her and saw some sort of epiphany on her face. "If the reason that we awoke was due to our strong ties to Oblivion and the old world being used to shape the new…then doesn't that mean…"

Harry nodded his head in understanding. "Yes, it is very possible, in fact undoubtedly true that the Aedra have been brought into this world as well." Both of the girls looked quite alarmed at this.

"Wait a minute. You knew this?" Daphne said accusingly.

"I arrived at this conclusion many years ago."

"Why didn't you tell me then?" She asked hotly.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "In ten years' time, I have never come across a shard of Aetherius nor any sign of a Divine. I was not about to needlessly worry about something that showed no sign of happening. Incidentally, I already have contingency plans in place, just in case. "

Daphne narrowed her eyes at him. "Plans that, you will no doubt, be sharing with us." Harry didn't say anything but merely nodded in agreement. He knew the wisdom in allowing the other two to know his plans in case the Divines made an appearance. That didn't mean he liked being told what to do.

Before any of them could even say anything else, there was a sharp knock on the compartment door. Harry looked over to Daphne and Luna, both of whom looked as surprised as he felt. Wondering who it could be, he motioned his hand to slide the door with his magic and revealing three young girls.

After nearly a full ten seconds of staring on both trios' account, Harry finally said, "Hello Iris."

* * *

Iris Potter looked on as surprise as the train compartment door slid open to reveal three figures seated within. The youngest looking of the occupants had pale blonde hair and large blue eyes that had an otherworldly appeal to them.

The girl next to her, could have been taken as her older sister. She too had blonde hair, except it was a luscious wave of interwoven silk. Iris wished her hair was that long and rich in color. Then there was how her eyes gleamed in an unnatural midnight blue. And with her beautiful face and developing curves, she knew that in a few years that this girl would, undeniably, be turning a lot of heads.

The last denizen of the compartment however, was the one who really captured her attention. Powerful strong features that seemed to be a mix of her father and her Uncle Sirius were framed by a dark onyx wave that was neatly swept back.

"Hello Iris," he said in a rich tenor voice. . Emerald eyes that were identical to her mother's, seemed to dance with green fire as they locked with hers.

Her mind seemed to go blank as those eyes bore into her own and stripped her of all conscious thought. It was only when his thin lips seemed to twitch that she could find her voice again…just barely.

"H-Harry!"

Iris flinched inwardly as her voice came out of as a squeak. She didn't know why she was feeling so nervous in front of her older brother. It was only until she realized that she didn't really know her brother as well as she would like to. He spent most of his time alone or in the Potter family library. He never really went along with family outings. She always figured he got out of going to other people's houses because he was older than her. Which, when she thought about was actually silly because he was only two years older than her.

"What can I do for you," here his eyes flicked to both girls on either side of her. "And your friends."

"W-we were looking for a compartment to sit in." she said. He looked surprised by her answer and asked, "After nearly three hours on the train? What were you doing up until now?"

Iris went red as she recalled the events that led to them leaving there old compartment. "This boy came into our compartment and he was being very rude. I-I mean we, decided to find somewhere else to sit."

As she finished her sentence, her brother's eyes seemed to flash and Iris audibly gulped. Why did she get the feeling she was being x-rayed? "Hmm," Her brother hummed as his eyed danced over the three of them and then went to his two companions. "You may sit with us." He finally said.

"We-we wouldn't want to intrude." She said nervously.

"Nonsense, I insist." Even though his words came out like a request, something in her brother's voice told Iris that there would be unpleasant consequences if she didn't comply. "Th-thanks, Harry." She stuttered.

As they sat down, Harry brought out his wand and levitated their trunks onto the overhead and soon introduction were being made. "I recognize Susan but, who is your other friend," Her brother asked. Iris turned to see that both girls turned red being addressed by her…okay so she has to admit that her brother was handsome…_really _handsome.

"Uh-yeah. You know Susan and this is her friend Hannah Abbot." Iris said pointing at each girl respectively. Susan's parents were good friends with her parents before they were killed in the final days of the war. And because Susan's aunt, Amelia Bones, was often busy with ministry work, Susan tended to spend a lot of time at Potter Manor. The two girls, Susan and Iris grew up as best friends.

"A pleasure to meet you," Harry said smiling at Hannah causing the girl to a deep scarlet. Something which bothered Iris. As little time as he spent with her, you'd think that he'd smile more at _her _and not someone he just met.

"Oh yes," Harry said while gesturing to the other girls. Pointing to the girl seated across from her and Next to Susan, Harry said, "This is Luna Lovegood. She's a first year like, just like yourselves."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Iris said while holding out her hand. Luna shook it and said, "I would say the same but you seem to have a lot of nargles about your head. Would you like a necklace?" She reached into her robes and pulled out a necklace covered in cork. In fact, she had another just like it adorned around her neck.

Stealing a glance at Harry, Iris noticed that her brother looked just as lost as she felt. Susan, who was seated next to Luna said, "I hope we can be friends if we're in the same year."

Luna smiled widely at Susan who returned her smile. "That'd be lovely! I've never had a friend before!" Susan's smile dimmed considerably. The other blonde girl offered her hand in the way royalty would servants. "Daphne Greengrass, charmed I'm sure."

Iris gave an ineloquent, "Uh, hi."

Hannah asked the beautiful blonde, "What year are you in?"

The girl, Daphne, gave a wicked smirk and gained a predatory glint in her eye. "Third year, Slytherin." The first year girls, minus Luna, recoiled. Daphne's smirk grew wider. "What do you think Potter," Daphne said. "Do you think the first years will survive the sorting?"

Her brother gave a light chuckle. "Oh I don't know. Perhaps they'll live through having their brains prodded."

The first year girls, once again minus Luna, looked at horror towards Harry who kept his cool and impassive face. "You're j-joking, right Harry?" Iris said. "Yeah, there's no way they'd allow someone to poke at our brains." Hannah said with minor conviction. Harry looked at her in all seriousness and said, "Would you like me to swear my magic on it?"

All three girls paled considerably and shook their heads. "Daddy said that they make you try on some dangerous contraption of Godric Gryffindor's that can turn your brains to mush." Luna said.

"Oh dear," Daphne said with an evil grin. "You've gone and ruined the surprise Luna. And shame on your father for breaking tradition."

Before the, now quickly turning green, girls could say something, the compartment door was thrown open. Harry muttered a curse that made Iris go red. She was the only one who heard him and she was sure if their mother found out, she'd clean Harry's mouth out with soap.

In the door way stood three boys, first years like her, judging by houseless crest on their robes. The middle one had pale features and platinum blonde hair that was heavily gelled back. The two on either side of him were two of the most brutish _things_ she's ever seen. And that was saying something seeing on how she'd seen Goblins at Gringotts and trolls in her mother's books. "Is it true?" The blonde said pompously. "They're saying the Girl-Who-Lived is in this compartment."

"Hi," Iris waved at him in slight confusion. The boy looked at her before puffing out his, practically non-existent, chest and said, "This is Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. And I'm Draco Malfoy."

"Daddy says that the Malfoys are part of the Rotfang conspiracy." Luna said out of nowhere.

The blonde kid looked at her funnily before saying, "I recognize you. You're that Looney Lovegood freak." Iris's eyes narrowed at hearing how Blondie rudely addressed Luna. Despite her odd comment, there was no need for name-calling. No she instantly recognized him for a bully.

"You'll find that there are some families that are better than others. I can help you there," he said with an arrogant while thrusting out her arm. Iris was about to reply angrily but the air in the room seemed to thicken and grow heavy.

"How quaint."

The edge and steel in his voice made Iris think that her brother wasn't all too pleased by whatever Blondie said. "Before you," Her brother drawled. "Sits the Heir to the Most Noble and Ancient house of Potter, the Heir to the Most Noble and Ancient House of Bones and the Most Noble House of Greengrass, yet you dare to tell my sister you can offer more prestigious company?"

It seemed Blondie realized there other people for the first time and her brother's words must really have hit home with him because he went a very unflattering shade of red. "Malfoy…"Harry said slowly.

"If I remember correctly," he said in a way that implied that there was _no _possibility of him being incorrect. "Your great-grandfather gave slight to the Emperor Napoleon the Third and fled France to escape his wrath."

Blondie began to splutter indignantly but he couldn't seem to find the right words. "Aside from the fortune your grandfather, Abraxas, made in the fifties, your family possess nothing. No seat in the Wizengamot nor even noble status here in Britain."

Iris was actually starting to feel bad for the kid. He looked like he ready to cry from embarrassment. "Little boy," her brother said patronizingly. "Come back and play once you're able to up the ante." And with a wave of his hand, Harry magically sealed the door.

"That," Hannah said.

"Was," Susan continued.

"Awesome!" Iris finished.

"Harry that was so cool! How'd you know all that stuff anyways?" Iris said. When Harry stared down at her and gave her a small smile, she felt butterflies stream through her.

"Oh, that was well worth maintaining my silence Potter," Daphne said wiping her eyes. "Father will definitely want to see that memory."

It seems Malfoy's little intrusion seemed to break the ice over the six of them and they spent next several minutes asking the older two about Hogwarts and the classes they would be taking their as well as about the respective professors for each class.

Nearly an hour later, Iris found herself nudging her brother in the side, attempting to garner his attention. When he leaned down to look at her, Iris felt heat rush into her cheeks. "Yes?" he murmured softly without breaking eye contact. "I…uh…kinda wanted to talk to you privately. So you know…if you have time I mean…later on…" she tried to get out shyly. However, Harry whipped out his wand and wove it in a few intricate flicks, drawing the attention of the others but they quickly looked away.

Then, much to Iris's mortification, he threw an arm around her waist and drew her in close. "I've put up a silencing ward around us as well as a notice-me-not charm. Whatever you have to say, say it now as you will not see me often as I will be busy with new classes and you with attempting to find yours."

Iris barely heard Harry's voice. She was far too occupied with the warmth of his body and the slightly metallic taste in the air around him. "Uh…it was about my wand, well kinda about yours too." She said distractedly. "Really?" He asked with curiosity shining in his eyes. "Yeah," Iris responded while taking out her own wand.

As Harry drew his wand closer to her wand, Iris could feel a dull vibration reverberate through it. There was the familiar hum of magic from the first time she touched it back in Ollivanders' shop.

"So, it turns out our wands are brothers." She said.

"Oh?" Harry said while his eyebrows inched upwards. "Yeah…Mister Ollivander said that the cores came from the same dragon."

"The Artic Steelwing," he muttered.

"Right." Suddenly, Harry's eyes flashed a vibrant emerald, she swore there was some lines f mercurial silver in them, and she felt as if she was being x-rayed again.

"How amusing…but not unexpected I suppose." He said.

Iris's yes furrowed and she said, "That's funny, Mister Ollivander said it was amusing and _was _unexpected."

Harry looked down at her, his eyes seemingly ablaze with jade fire. Iris could feel the blood rush through her cheeks. "Now why would that be unexpected? You _are _my sister? Aren't you?" He asked with a small smile.

Iris blinked before smiling up at him.

"Yeah, I am."

As Harry took down the wards around them, he was so engrossed with the possibilities of Iris holding the brother of his wand, he forgot to lift his arm around her waist. And for Iris, that was completely acceptable because for the first time in over ten years, she could lay in the arms of her brother.

* * *

**Author's Note: Probably the biggest thing here is, why is Harry being nice to Iris?  
**

**Simple, she's not a threat to him. James and Lily could easily recognize signs that there son was _very _different from a regular child. Therefore it was necessary to to mess with their minds. No such problem exists with Iris. **

**Remember, I always enjoy constructive criticism so feel free to give me your thoughts.**

**NEX**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: After this chapter, it's rally gonna pick up because most of the juicy bits of this story take place outside of Hogwarts. I've been asked a lot to as what the pairing is, its mainly Harry/Daphne but that appears once the plot has developed more. Like in two more chapters or so. **

**Hope You Enjoy**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Machine**

Harry clapped politely as the Sorting Hat finished its song and bowed to each of the four house tables. He then tuned out Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher, as she cited the procedure of the sorting to all the incoming first years. Unscrolling the list of names, she called out, "Abbot, Hannah."

Harry remembered the auburn colored, bubbly girl from the train ride. She hesitated before sitting down on the stool. The hat nearly went over her eyes and after a couple of seconds it shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table erupted into series of large applause and the rest of the school went along in more subdued manner. The House system, while at first glance was quite ingenious, only served to isolate and draw lines between each House and its students. Forever labeling its alumni and branding them with the stigma with each house characteristics. Slytherins will always be evil, Gryffindors were forever reckless, Ravenclaws without common sense and Hufflepuffs are just plain useless.

The system worked when the Hogwarts Four were still alive because any fool could tell that all of them were extraordinarily capable in their own way. If Salazar was still walking, he doubted there would be anyone idiotic enough to openly say that his house produced all the rotten eggs. And most of Helga's critics would be dead. Historical texts were quite clear that the Norse woman, despite her kindly demeanor, possessed a short temper and a vicious mean streak that was a mile long.

"Bones, Susan!"

He returned his attention to the sorting as another familiar name was called out. The petite red head had been coming and going from Potter Manor ever since her parents were murdered by the Carrow twins in February of 'eight-one. She even had her own fully furnished room in the manse.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Looks like the Puffs are getting most of the crop this year, eh Harry?" He turned to his head to the side to see Megan Turnpin had addressed him

Many of his year mates had, initially, tried to befriend him early on. At first, it was because he was the older sibling to the Girl-Who-Lived and they wanted something from him. Autographs, photos, a chance to meet and greet. One imbecile even had the gall to try and pay him for a lock of Iris's hair. He put an end to that swiftly.

Of course when, within the first week at Hogwarts, it became quickly apparent that he was a genius amongst geniuses, the ever grade worshipping Ravens wanted to use him to further their own studies. His rebuffing of their efforts led to a rather large drift growing between him and his peers. Many accused him of being a jealous prat in regards to his famous sister and that he was simply trying to garner attention.

This had led to bullying and name calling behind his back. Not that he really cared. The petty insecurities of useless trash were hardly things he would care to involve himself in. Yet, when they began getting physical, such as sending jinxes and hexes his way and stealing his belongings, he quickly put his foot down. Suffice it to say, several people ended up in the hospital wing under mysterious circumstances. After that, he was never bothered again.

The exception being Megan Turpin. As he locked eyes with her, he noted a light blush color her cheeks. Oh, how he dreaded the day when his hormones would kick in.

A fourth year student, Megan had, for one reason or another, taken it upon herself to befriend the eldest Potter child. She was always talking to him and attempting to have him interact with the rest of the house.

Megan was an attractive witch for her age. Light brown that cascaded over her shoulders and chocolate brown eyes. More often than not, they distracted several boys from her rather shapely bum as well as…

'_Oh dammit all to Oblivion…the day is nigh…'_

"I suppose that means less of the midgets we have to deal with," He said impassively.

"Harry!" She exclaimed. Her expression caught between horror and humor. "You shouldn't say things like that."

He gave her a slight smirk that caused her cheeks to redden further. And he noticed that she wasn't the only one. He wasn't a fool. He realized what his growth spurt and adolescent changes had done for him. But, like all things he possessed, it was just another tool for him to further his purposes.

As he heard the name 'Greengrass' being called out, he turned his head back into the direction of the sorting, just as McGonagall slipped the hat onto Astoria's head. Within seconds, the hat shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

He quickly took note of the smug smirk on Daphne's expression across the hall and the way Astoria beamed at her older sister. There no doubt in his mind that Astoria was going to be sorted into the House of Serpents. The entire Greengrass family was in Slytherin and that particular clan _thrived_ on the political front.

Harry's mind, drifted back to his own sorting. The whispers that had broken out within the hall as he had walked up to the stool were practically deafening. He recalled with dark delight as how all the teachers regarded him in shock. He had spent years laying under the radar and weaving magic to keep him as undetectable as possible. His sudden arrival into the magical world had caused shockwaves to ripple through society.

And no one had been more shocked than the Sorting Hat. Even spending nearly a millennium's worth of time, sifting through the minds of tens of thousands of magicals, couldn't prepare the hat for the mind of a Deadric Prince. The magics holding the hat had threatened to unravel as the sheer weight of his true self came crashing into the ancient artifact.

Which was why, Harry was smiling rather like a predator that was about to catch its prey when Luna's name was called. McGonagall watched disapprovingly as the young blonde skipped along with a rather strange smile on her face towards the wooden stool.

Just as she placed the hat down on her head, Godric's creation went stiff and seemed to lose all sense of life. He almost pitied the magical construct. Despite the terrible volume and depth of his mind, he was the Prince of Order. _His_ mind was carefully crafted and perfectly organized. Azura was the Prince of Dawn and Dusk. Few, _very _few could even _begin _to understand the utter majesty that was her domain. The ever shifting energies between all beginnings and all ends. Transition, possibility and certainty. Azura's domain was so convoluted that even _he _had a difficult time comprehending it. The poor hat didn't stand a chance.

After what seemed to nearly ten minutes and several people beginning to get impatient, McGonagall prodded the hat with her wand. The hat suddenly jolted and looked about as if it had just woken up after a nap. Taking a moment, it finally shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

Luna gave a dreamy smile as McGonagall plucked the Sorting Hat off her head. She slid of the stool and skipped merrily to the Ravenclaw table, garnering several odd looks from both students and faculty. Watching in amusement, Harry shifted slightly as Luna came over and sat next to him.

"Did you have a nice conversation?" He said without looking at her.

"Oh yes," she smiled. "Albert was so very talented at spinning a tale. Did you know that the true reason for Godric and Salazar's spat was because each accused the other of eating the last sweetroll, when it was actually Rowena?"

"Albert?" He said with a questioning eyebrow.

"Really?" She said with a disappointed glare. "I just tell you that the greatest feud since Arthur and Mordred was over a pastry and you focus on _that_?"

He shrugged. It wasn't like he was all that surprised from her admission. In their old world, sweetrolls had caused many a war and led to the extinction of entire bloodlines. He even knew of twenty-three separate incidents between the Divines and the Princes that were the direct result of unaccounted sweetrolls. _Never_ underestimate the sweetroll.

"Though I have to admit," Luna said, breaking Harry from his line of thought. "This castle is quite nice. And the ambient magic makes for perfect conditions in various rituals and endeavors."

"I will not deny that," Harry said. "The air is rife with powerful energies and has allowed me to work on numerous projects." Luna looked at him appreciatively. "Such as?"

Harry quickly switched to the ancient language of the Snow Elves. "Some other time. There are many listening voices within this castle. That and I do not have the time to explain everything in depth."

Luna nodded and, in the same language, said, "Is there some place you have set up where we can freely utilize our Deadric powers?"

"Nocturnal and I have a laboratory of some sorts set up within the castle. I will take you there when we can move about freely."

Suddenly, the Great Hall broke into hushed whispers. Despite being engrossed in his conversation with Luna, Harry was fully aware of what was going on around him and that his sister's name had been called out.

"Did she say Iris Potter?"

"That's her? The Girl-Who-Lived?"

"So Potter, your sister gonna get into Gryffindor or is she going to shame the Potter name and be sorted into another house just like you." Several people turned to look at him.

Roger Davies, despite being on the Quidditch team, had what Harry had diagnosed as, a massive inferiority complex. Harry had summarized that he had obtained it from constantly being in the shadow of his sister. Evelyn Davies was a world renowned pianist as well as an incredible singer. She had earned fame as a celebrity in both the magical and muggle world. He had become incredibly hostile in the face of Harry's unsurpassed intellect and the way all the professors favored him. And now, given Iris's own wide spread fame, he had found a new source of outlet to take his rage out on.

Of course, Harry simply ignored him. The foolish boy was only good at throwing a ball into a hoop like some sort of circus monkey. Aside from that one inconsequential talent, he was mediocre at best. Harry Potter had no cause to associate himself with mediocrity. So he summarily ignored the self-doubting Roger.

"Hufflepuff," Harry whispered over to Luna who didn't say anything. And indeed, not a second later, the Sorting Hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

There was a stunned moment of silence. Everyone froze as if they heard wrong. Susan and Hannah, had caught sight of Iris's delighted expression and immediately started clapping and whooping. The next moment, the Hufflepuff table broke out into a thunderous roar even as several groans came from the Gryffindors.

Harry's eyes met Iris's as she quickly made her way to Hufflepuff table and he dipped his head in a silent 'congratulations.' She beamed at him before sitting down between Hannah and Susan who quickly engulfed her in hug.

The sorting of the Girl-Who-Lived was filled with mixed sentiments. The Hufflepuffs, were obviously ecstatic. The rest of the school however, was wondering what it meant that the Girl-Who-Lived was sorted into the house of left overs. Most prominent of all, was the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Harry caught sight of the deep frown on the old man as he watched his sister rapidly chat away with her friends.

The Headmaster stood up as the frown melted into a warm smile on his face. "I bid you all welcome to another year at Hogwarts," he smiled venerably. "To returning students, I trust your heads have suitably emptied over the summer so that you may stuff yourself with information anew!" Many of the staff glared at the Headmaster as he practically _urged _the students to neglect their studies while on vacation.

"Before we begin the feast, I have a few announcements to make. A reminder to all students, the Forbidden Forest, is as usual, forbidden. Mister Filch has added a number of items to the list of forbidden things at Hogwarts. The full list, which is displayed at his office if anyone wishes to see it."

Here he paused as many people, including some professors, snorted in amusement. As if anyone actually cared about the grievances of the squib. "Also, I'd like to announce that this year, the third floor corridor is off-limits to all students who do not wish to die a painful death."

Many people laughed but, at the grave look on Dumbledore's face, it quickly died down and was replaced by some form of curiosity or horror. "On that note, I have some final words before we tuck in. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Chuckles rolled throughout the Great Hall as the Headmaster sat down, only to be replaced by the gasps of awe from the first years when the tables were suddenly covered with numerous dishes. "I always said that the Headmaster was mad." A fellow Ravenclaw commented from dawn the table.

As he carefully piled his plate with small portions of food, Harry turned as he felt a pair of eyes on him. Luna gave him a look he understood all too easily. His expression darkened considerably. "No," he said as his lips curled in disgust and venom dripped into his voice. "If that were the case, I would have killed him _long_ ago."

Knowing better than to push _this _particular subject with him, Luna dropped it quickly and lightly nibbled into her salad.

Harry's mind was moving at the speed of light as he processed the old man's words. Dumbledore was many things. However, the man was certainly _not_ insane. No, every action and word of his had meaning and purpose. If anything, he respected the cryptic genius of the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

Nitwit: How the entirety of Ravenclaw saw the rest of Hogwarts in the certainty of their own "superior" mental prowess.

Blubber: Gryffindor's view of the world according to everyone who wasn't one them ergo, unable to keep up with their vaunted "nobility."

Oddment: What everyone who wasn't of "Pureblood" stock by right of birth, in accordance with Slytherin's doctrine.

Tweak: What needed to be done to the other three houses as they did not possess Hufflepuff's "moral fiber."

Albus Dumbledore was more cunning than most gave him credit for and of that, there was no doubt. Which meant, that his decree about the third floor corridor was more of an invitation, rather than a deterrent. The question was, to whom?

Well, actually, the answer was fairly obvious. He had overheard many a conversation between his parents about the inevitable return of Voldemort. So the _real _question was how, in the name of Oblivion, Dumbledore was going to force the fallen dark wizard to reveal himself.

'_Bait,' _Harry realized.

Harry took a sip of water out of his goblet as he glanced up at the high table. The Headmaster's gaze was fixed right over his head. He didn't need to turn his head around to know that it was Iris he was stealing glances at. After a few seconds, Dumbledore must have realized that someone was staring at _him,_ because he lowered his gaze.

Isolating Iris in a vulnerable position would undoubtedly cause Voldemort to present himself to the young girl. But, that wasn't enough. If what he heard was true, than the dark wizard was considerably weakened compared to prior his defeat. There _had_ to be something to lure him to Hogwarts, something that might help him recover his former power.

In other words, Harry had figured out the outline of Dumbledore's plan. Lure Voldemort into the school. Bait both him and Iris into the third floor corridor and force the two into a confrontation. With Voldemort present, Dumbledore could finish him off or perhaps he would use Iris to somehow do the deed. Now all he needed to figure out, was what Dumbledore would use to draw both Iris and Voldemort into quarantining themselves. Well…that and if _Harry _could use whatever it was to reach _his _former power.

As Dumbledore locked gazes with him, Harry smiled coldly. Dumbledore was playing into _his _hands. What the old man failed to realize was, that this was now a game with a whole new front. Both Dumbledore and Voldemort will be quite shocked when they realize that there is a new player. And by the time they do…it will be too late.

'_All shall crumble before Jyggalag!'_

* * *

"Come in Severus."

As the door to his office opened, Albus Dumbledore suppressed a chuckle as his potions master enter with his usual flair for the theatrics. Cloak billowing behind despite the obvious lack of any wind, Severus Snape entered with a scowl present on his face. Come to think of it, Dumbledore had a scant few memories where Severus _didn't _have a scowl on his face. And most of those memories were where it was replaced with one of absolute fury.

'_Perhaps I should offer him a pay raise?' _He mused.

"Headmaster," Severus greeted curtly.

"I trust," Dumbledore said with a small note of concern in his voice. "That there were no issues as your young charges settled in?"

"Just the usual power plays by the upper years," Severus said. "Although, I had to stop young Draco from getting himself hexed as he tried to stake his claim as the alpha in Slytherin. Foolish boy doesn't seem to realize that his father's protection does not extend into the House of Salazar."

"Please see to it that he does. I do not Lucius giving me any new headaches only a day into the new semester." Dumbledore sighed. Lucius Malfoy's seat on the Hogwarts' Board of Governors was a position that he abused to push his political agenda onto the school.

"Yes, because it's absolutely fine when Lucius pesters _me _about his spoiled brat," Severus drawled sarcastically causing Dumbledore to chuckle once again.

"And the stone?" Dumbledore enquired after a moment.

"Perfectly safe and tucked away behind your obstacle course," the younger man said dryly.

Nodding to himself, Dumbledore prepared for what he knew was coming from Severus. A number of the faculty were quite displeased with his most recent addition to Hogwarts. Quite frankly, _he _was displeased with his _own _choice. Sadly, it needed to be done to ascertain Voldemort's current status.

"I find myself, once again, questioning your sanity old man."

"I can assure you Severus that, despite what my numerous adversaries on the Wizengamot say, I have my senses quite fully in hand," he said with a trace of amusement in his voice.

"Yes, it's a tell-tale sign that one's senses haven't taken leave when you place one of the most coveted treasures in the whole world in a school full of _children_!" Severus's voice sharply rose at the end causing Dumbledore to wince slightly and Fawkes to startle on his perch.

"And then you advertise the whole fact to said children and expect the raging masses of walking hormones to _obey _you! And don't even get me started on that bloody dog of Hagrid's!" Severus seethed.

Dumbledore didn't say word as he had heard the same speech from his Deputy Headmistress. Admittedly, Minerva had been much louder and did not refrain from using much stronger language. His ears still rang whenever he recalled _that_ particular meeting with his Scottish transfigurations professor.

"Honestly, Albus!" Severus continued his tirade. "Are you even trying to protect Flamel's stone? Half of those protections could be outdone by students halfway through their first year and…" Severus stopped as sudden realization lit his eyes.

'_Oh dear…' _Dumbledore thought worriedly. _'This is not good.'_

"That's it…"Severus said in disbelief. "A student…you _want_ a student to find the stone…you want the youngest Potter brat to confront the Dark Lord..._are you out of your bloody mind!" _He yelled.

Dumbledore had the decency to look ashamed but defended his actions nonetheless. "I would never put a student in danger if I had the choice Severus but this is necessary. Voldemort will definitely present himself if Iris and the stone are presented at the right opportunity. Though I will take every measure to make sure that no harm befalls young Iris."

"Damn it Albus!" Severus said in anger. "Even if she survives, she is just a _child_! You could scar her for life with this stunt!"

"Do you think I do not know that," Dumbledore said. Now getting visibly upset. "But you've seen the horrors of the last war first hand, Severus. Would you not do everything in your power to stop it from happening again?"

Those words subdued the potions master slightly but, there was still a good deal of rage hidden behind his eyes. "How on earth am I supposed to look at Lily from now on, knowing I willingly let her daughter walk into that death trap? No Albus, I won't have any part of this foolishness but I won't stop you either. However, I will allow no harm to befall Iris. Mark my words, I will be watching her closely."

Dumbledore sighed. "You are a good man Severus. Far better than I could ever hope to be. And yes, I do regret the burden that has been thrust on that young girl's shoulders. Unfortunately, the prophecy is quite clear."

"Oh here we go with the bloody prophecy again." Severus said as he rolled his eyes. How he cursed that useless fraud Trelawney for actually having that most minute trickle of talent. The day he overheard a portion of that prophecy was tied with the day he nearly ruined his friendship with Lily as the official worst day of his life.

"The prophecy is quite clear that Iris will be the one to defeat Voldemort for good," Dumbledore said sagely.

"No Albus," Severus said. "It isn't clear at all! For the love of Merlin, it doesn't even say if the child _will _vanquish the Dark Lord. Only that she can!"

"Exactly," Dumbledore said pounding his desk. "Iris _can _and if she tries, she will succeed."

If it wasn't completely out of character for him, Severus would have thrown his hands into the air in sheer exasperation. "May both all three of you, Trelawney, the Dark Lord and yourself, burn in Hell for the grief you will undoubtedly cause that young girl."

"Yes," Dumbledore said sadly. "How sometimes I wish that it was brother who was burdened with her destiny. It is too much for a young girl…far, far too much."

Severus snorted. "I, on the other hand, am infinitely thankful that the elder sibling is not the one we depend upon for our future. That child is dangerous."

"Yes, Severus. I have heard of your misgivings about young Harry many times but have never understood why." Dumbledore was quick to grab the opportunity to switch the subject of their conversation.

"Headmaster, you _know _why I have my doubts about that boy."

"I must confess Severus, I cannot fathom your dislike for Harry. I find him to be a model student. In fact, he's quite entirely astonishing in his studies."

"That's just it, Albus!" Severus exclaimed standing up. Dumbledore, for his part was quite surprised by the outburst. He had severely underestimated the amount of suspicion he held towards the Potter heir. "The boy's a complete genius! He understands everything completely and has never failed to achieve perfect marks on every assignment and exam! Minerva was mortified for _weeks _because the brat found a mistake on her exam!"

Truthfully, Albus actually found that amusing. It was a good reminder that even the professors were human and capable of making mistakes. It kept them all humble.

"And don't even get me started on his magic!" Evidently, Dumbledore didn't have to get Severus 'started' on anything. He was doing a fine job all by himself. "You've felt the boy's magic Albus! I know you have! No child is that powerful!"

This time, Dumbledore actually frowned. That was something that had bothered him in the past. There was no doubt about it, Harry Potter was possibly the most gifted student Hogwarts had ever had. He was genius of the likes which he had never seen and had the magical aura, twice as powerful as the average magical adult.

He doubted if even Tom Riddle, during his tenure at Hogwarts was as capable as Harry Potter. There were many similarities, now that he thought about it, between Tom Riddle and Harry Potter. Both were powerful wizards with an unrivaled intellect. Both charmed their teachers and were famous for never stepping a toe out of line. And both had a cold aura that drove chills up his spine.

Yet, that was where the similarities ended. Where Tom was fond of garnering followers, Harry pushed people away and was rather famous for being a recluse. Tom loved collecting lavish things. According to Filius, his head of house, Harry was quite Spartan.

"And that's not even what bothers me the most, Albus. Up until two years ago, practically the entire world forgot that Harry Potter even existed." Severus said hotly.

Dumbledore's frown deepened. He was not proud of the fact but, yes, he had completely forgotten about Lily and James's eldest child in regards to his more famous sister. When young Harry's name had been called out to be sorted, two years ago, Dumbledore nearly choked on his own saliva.

"I have been having tea with lily every Sunday morning for nearly six years now!" Severus continued. "Not once, not once Albus, do I remember seeing the brat at Potter Manor."

"And whenever I _do _bring up her son, in front of her, Lily blows over whatever I have to say as if it's hardly important. As if her eldest child, her only son, doesn't matter at all."

The spiel that Severus was on had calmed down and towards the end, he sounded much more concerned than upset. Dumbledore had the utmost respect for Severus's devotion to his oldest friend. But, the fact that Lily may be ignoring a child with Harry's potential was disturbing. Lily and James had blamed Iris's fate on him in the emotion turmoil during the aftermath of the war and it had caused a rift to form between himself and the Potter family. He did not blame them though. It was difficult time and his way of getting things done without taking into consideration the sentiments of others had always been a fault of his.

Nevertheless, he found it hard to imagine that the Potter's would be so enamored with their daughter that they would ignore their son. Indeed, that _would_ explain a great deal about the sheer ice that Harry projected. Yet still, everything that he knew about the Potters told him that was impossible. Dumbledore brought up his hands to his temples and rubbed them with vigor. Perhaps it was time to mend the gap between himself and the Potters?

"I understand your worries Severus but, Harry is still young. I have full faith that, if there are problems within the Potter family they can resolve them."

Severus shook his head. "No Headmaster, you do not understand. There is something terribly wrong with that boy."

"Severus!" Dumbledore cried indignantly.

"With all due respect Albus, you do not really interact with the dunderheads that we are forced to call students. I've seen the boy in class. Every movement, every glance…it's so mechanical. He has a perfect mask on all the time that would put my Slytherins to shame. And his Occlumency-"

Severus stopped himself realizing the mistake he made and Dumbledore looked at him with alarm. "Severus, tell me you didn't!"

The younger professor avoided the elder's eyes. "Admittedly, I was curious and couldn't help myself…but you have _no idea _how I regret that now."

Dumbledore appraised him cautiously. While Dumbledore wouldn't be so hypocritical as to condemn Severus on his use of Legilimency, as an heir to one of the powerful houses in Europe, Harry was bound to have some protections on his mind. It would do no one any good if Severus landed himself in Azkaban if he was caught rummaging through the head of the next lord of a Most Noble and Ancient House.

"I take it then young Harry has Occlumency shields?" Dumbledore asked.

"The strongest I've ever seen and yes, that includes you Albus." He added as he saw Dumbledore's eyebrows raise. "I couldn't even feel the slightest _hint _of emotion from him. If there was an absolute defense in Occlumency, I'd say that boy has found it." Severus snorted. "I can't even really_ call_ him a boy. No, he's entirely identical to a machine."

Dumbledore frowned profoundly. A machine was a cold emotionless thing that only cared to fulfill its primary function. He had seen indescribable horrors from the muggle side of the war against his oldest friend. It was obvious that Harry Potter was more than just Hogwarts' resident genius. The boy had more potential than perhaps Tom himself. Not to mention, he would one day come to inherit one of the largest fortunes in magical Britain. It was obvious that he would have to garner Harry Potter's ear. He would make a great asset against Tom's inevitable return.

Yes, he could achieve a great deal with Harry Potter under his thumb. While Iris would be the perfect beacon to gather the people under the banner of the Light, Harry Potter would be the one to provide the pillar of support. The Potter siblings would be perfect for the betterment of their world.

As Severus got up to leave, he turned around and gave one final warning to Dumbledore. "Iris Potter has a great deal of many people who would protect her, myself included. But Harry Potter…Albus, if you plan on going after that _machine_, you'd best be prepared for a force more terrible then perhaps even the Dark Lord."

Dumbledore appraised him carefully. "Goodnight, Severus."

"Goodnight, Headmaster."

* * *

As the two men bade each other farewell, both failed to notice a single raven take off from the window-sill into the night air. The raven knew that it had to return to its mistress as it had fulfilled the task that it had been given.

As it soared over the tall trees it was suddenly swept up in a swirl of dark shadows disappeared from the night sky altogether. Lost in the darkness, the raven did not fret because it knew that it had been summoned by its Mistress's call. The night was her domain, the endless shadows that hid were her slaves.

As the dark gave away, the raven found itself in creation of the two-legs, surrounded by stone. Immediately, it felt the Mistress and glided to her. Landing on outstretched fingers, the raven peered into the eyes of its Mistress. Cold, hard sapphires that swam in midnight blue energies. It could feel the terrible power of its Lady as she took from its mind. "Thank you, darling. You've been wonderful." The Mistress said right before she gently kissed the top of its head.

The raven ruffled its feathers under the praise from its Mistress. She was everything to the raven. The Supreme Master! She must be obeyed!

"Anything interesting?"

The raven cocked its head and jumped forward on its Mistress's hand to view the one that had spoken. She was like the Great Lady. She had a power flowing about her. It was similar to its Lady. Very nearly the same. But, where the Lady was a glorious darkness of the night sky's endless blue, this one was the dancing dust that swam in the light line of the sun.

"Oh you have no idea," the Lady said.

"Was Jyggalag correct?" The other Great One asked.

"When isn't he?" Its Lady asked with a musical laugh. "Come let's go relive him of his experiments.

The Lady walked with the other one and carried the raven to place where the stone was different and swung forward. Instantly, the smell of flesh, burnt and decayed, washed over the raven. The raven saw the Lady's face wrinkle in disgust and it squawked indignantly as it flapped its wings. This place was unworthy of its Mistress! Such filth before the Lady was not to be tolerated!

"Hush there, darling," The Lady cooed and instantaneously the raven quieted and stilled. "I know it's rather messy but what can you do? He gets carried away sometimes."

He? A male? A male in the presence of its Lady?! Unacceptable! Unacceptable! The male must be punished! Its eyes must be plucked out! Its innards spilled across the earth!

"Jyggalag," the other Great one called out. "Are you quite done yet?"

Following the Great One's gaze, the raven found two creatures, both two-legs and both undeniably _male. _One was the source of the offensive odor. It was bound to the stone and the life-blood dripped down from its head. The other, it stood in front of the wounded and bound male.

It was different. It was like the Lady yet, it was so different at the same time. Power filled the air around that male as it stole life from around it. Cold, staunch and greyer than the clouds that bring the storm. There was no feeling to it. This two-legs didn't feel alive. It felt…it felt…the raven did not know what it felt like. It was not of this world.

"Oh," the Mistress said. "You've managed to create one, then?" It did not say anything, simply moved its hands. The raven fluffed its feathers in anger. How dare the Strange One ignore the Lady!

A glint of light caught its attention. Above the Strange One's hand, a sharp stone made with the same feeling and color as the Grey Power that the Strange One held, floated in the air. The Strange One pressed the shard into wounded male.

It screamed.

A terrible scream that echoed of pain and misery. The raven did not like the sound. It was distressing the Mistress as the distaste was clearly written on her face. Surely the wounded male could die in a quieter manner? Couldn't it see that it was upsetting the Mistress?

The raven watched in fascination as the shard of Grey Power began to grow over the chest of the bound two-legs and spread across its body. Rapidly, the entirety of the male was covered in the Strange One's stone. Even the face was morphed to be different as it seemed to gleam like sun-light in water. The raven deemed it to be great improvement as it was far more pleasing to the eye.

Then, the whole two-legs that glittered shattered into countless pieces.

The Strange One let out a growl of frustration and the place was filled with hot anger. The raven grew anxious but soon enough, the Lady's cool power flowed out and pushed back the Strange One's anger. The raven breathed in its Lady's mercy.

"Did you find out what Dumbledore has stowed away on the third floor?" the Strange One said after a few tense moments, addressing the Mistress. "Do the words 'Flamel' and 'Stone' mean anything to you?" The Lady asked with a smile. Beside her, the Dancing-Light Lady gasped in surprise.

The Strange One's eyes glowed in a terrible green fire. It forced the raven to look away least it wake up dead. When, he felt the flames die down, the raven saw that the Strange One was now looking bitter. "I doubt it's the real one. Flamel wouldn't be so foolish as to give up his prized possession away so easily." Then the Strange One looked down at the glittering dust at its feet.

"What went wrong," the Dancing-Light Lady asked.

"The shard wasn't stable enough. I can't seem to make my magic dense enough for the transformation to hold permanently."

"So much for our instant army," the Lady said wistfully.

"I will continue to try. Practice makes perfect after all, no?"

All three turned to the place where the raven saw several more two-legs were bound to stone.

* * *

**Author's Note: Let me clear up a few things first. Yeah, Iris is in Hufflepuff and she won't play a huge role within the story. Mainly as a source of fluff and Hogwarts canon driver. The 'meat' of the story picks up after year two so I'm going to really advance the story quickly in the next two chapters. I'm planning on getting Year 1 &amp; 2finished by chapter nine or ten. they're actually quite boring for me really.**

**Pairings: Expect it mainly to be Harry/Daphne and Fleur will make strong appearances once Year Three ends. An maybe...just possibly...Harry will end up having an affair with Narcissa Malfoy...for those of you who know me, you know I like them mature ones.**

**For those of you who might have noticed...yeah, I'm a HUGE Megadeth fan. You'll see references to their songs all over my stories. **

**Huh...think that's it...anyways, hope you enjoyed. Still looking for a beta by the way.**

**CE-NEX**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** **Okay, so there are still some people who don't understand me when I say I have an explanation of the Deadric Princes on my bio, so here we go.**

**Deadric Princes: Mega-Powerful supernatural entities that rule over the hell dimensions of Oblivion in the Elder Scroll series. Each Prince has its own plane of Existence along with a certain sphere of influence. **

**Jyggalag/Harry Potter: Deadric Prince of Order and Logical Deduction, Hatred of Madness and Enemy of Freedom. Jyggalag was cursed by the other Princes to live a life of insanity by the other Princes because they grew fearful and jealous of his ever growing power. Jyggalag served as the primary villain in the Shivering Isles expansion pack. When Harry survived the violent magic that took place when Voldemort tried to kill his Sister, he awoke to realize that he was the reincarnation of Jyggalag. He is currently seeking to regain his near-limitless power and recreate the world in his image of Order. A cold logical genius, Harry cares little for others and can be cruel and heartless when it serves his purpose. His only real semblance of humanity appears when exposed to his younger sister Iris. **

**Nocturnal/Daphne Greengrass: The Daedric Prince of Night, Mistress of Night, Mother of Thieves, Lady of Ravens and Lady Luck. Nocturnal is by nature an enigma, forever shrouded in the dark energies of her realm. Her dealings with mortals are mainly a source of entertainment for her as most mortals in the criminal underground seek her favor. Daphne had no idea who she was in her past life until one day, Harry Potter forcibly awoke her Deadric self. A lot more accepting of her mortal soul than Harry, Daphne acts as the aloof and calculating conscious that Harry sometimes lack. Her only real concern is is her family, both mortal and Deadric. Like Harry, she seeks to return to her status as a full Prince and while she may not care if her brother created his perfect world, she wouldn't mind the chance to drown it in perpetual darkness.  
**

**Azura/Luna Lovegood: The Daedric Prince of Dawn and Dusk, Mother of Roses and Queen of Twilight. Azura is one of the few Princes that isn't considered outright evil. Her realm is poorly understood by mortals as she represent the transient energies that move the beginning and end of all things. While all the Princes are technically considered siblings, Azura and Nocturnal truly act and treat each other as sisters. Sometimes associated with prophecy, it was a foretelling by Azura that spurred the events of the third Elder Scrolls game; Morrowind. Luna Lovegood awoke as the Prince Azura during the horrific accident that killed her mother. Due to the ethereal powers gifted to her through her Deadric nature, Luna tends see things that most people can't even fathom. Even the unsurpassed genius of Harry can't always comprehend her. After all, how can you understand the present if what your seeing may or may not happen or have already happened?  
**

**Any questions? Please say no. If, and I mean IF, you have serious questions, feel free to PM me. I'll do my best to clear things up.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Halloween**

Halloween.

It had been ten years ago on this fateful day that he had resumed the mantle of Deadric Prince. Someday, he'd send flowers to Voldemort as a thank you. Right before he blasted the git into a million different pieces for trying to kill him in the first place!

Halloween.

One of the most auspicious nights on the entire planet. Muggles would go around, dressed as things they knew were fake and gorged themselves on candy. Magicals went about, celebrating with massive gathering and a few daring soul would attempt to use the night's magic in various rituals. Generally speaking, most failed and died a grizzly death.

"I hate Halloween," Harry growled as he flicked his wand and repelled the flying shards of marble shrapnel aimed at him.

Halloween had a strange effect on his magic. It tended to make him more Deadric and less Prince. How so, you ask? Well, Jyggalag was the Prince of Logical Deduction and logic, sadly, was as rare a commodity amongst Deadra as it was amongst wizards. Deadra were the type to leap and then look right as they're about to splatter themselves across the bottom. Harry prided himself on the fact he tended to look, then _not_ leap.

This, rather useful habit of his, was unfortunately circumvented on Halloween by his more brash Deadra instincts. Which is why he spent all of Halloween last year putting down a herd of zombie centaurs. Apparently even in death, they did not appreciate the arts of necromancy.

It was also why, when that stuttering imbecile Quirrel announced that there was a troll wandering the castle during the middle of the feast, he went chasing after his missing sister rather than do the smart thing and inform a professor. Coincidentally, it was also why he was facing down a near twenty foot behemoth of said mountain troll.

"Harry!" He turned to see Iris shrieking in obvious hysteria with another three girls cowering behind her. He recognized Susan and Hannah but, the bushy haired one remained a mystery. Who was this girl that his sister felt the need to endanger her life for? Why didn't her two friends stop her from doing something so incredibly stupid? And most important of all, why was he asking such ridiculous questions of himself when he should be killing the bloody troll?!

"I _hate_ Halloween," he spat out for the second time.

Deftly moving to the side, he dodged the massive club that threatened to spill the contents of his head all across the bathroom walls. The girls screamed again and the troll roared in response. "Shut up," Harry barked. The troll ignored him while the girls looked at him in shock. Oh, he would love nothing more than to reduce the troll to a pile of cinders but, there would be far too many questions asked if he did and not enough opportunities to Obliviate involved parties.

He wasn't _that _far out of it.

No, brute power wouldn't work to his advantage here. He'd have to get clever…well…not really. Clever for a third year, painfully simple for a Prince. He quickly shot a stinging hex that caught the troll square in the eye. Howling in pain, the foul smelling thing began to dance wildly. The sight reminded him when Sanguine once trained an army of trolls to dance across Skyrim. It had been amusing sight and he…pushed that memory to the side as it was completely irrelevant.

As the troll was distracted, he transformed the debris, laying on ground behind it, into long spires of twisted and sharp iron. Another flick of his wrist and water flew out of his wand and pooled around the troll's feet, which quickly froze when he cast a **Glacius **charm. The troll finally seemed to gather its bearings but was too little too late. A banishing charm to the chest caused it to lose balance, slip and impale itself on the spears of metal that jutted out of the ground.

The disgusting creature let out one last painful bellow before it went completely limp. Scrunching up his nose, Harry sneered in revulsion at the creature.

Quite curious as _why _his sister was in a bathroom with a troll (if that wasn't the beginning to some piss-poor joke than he's his godfather Sirius and thank Oblivion he_ wasn't_) he sent a Legilimency probe into her. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to find that it was the youngest Weasley boy's fault. He had proven himself to be a braggart and an impudent fool. He made a mental note to eviscerate the boy at some point.

As he turned towards the girls, he was accosted by three diminutive forms. Iris had grabbed a hold of him tightly and began to wail and smear various fluids across the front of his robes. Susan and Hannah saw fit to do the same to his sides.

"I _hate _Halloween!"

* * *

As her brother's voice carried over her head, Iris wiped her eyes and attempted to take a deep calming breath. She was so sure the troll was about to kill her before Harry had come barreling into the bathroom. Iris couldn't remember ever being so happy to see her older brother.

Said happiness was short lived when she now caught sight of his face, however. He didn't look all that happy. Quite the opposite in fact.

"Give me one reason." Her brother's voice was hissing with so much venom that Hannah and Susan immediately latched off him and took a few steps back. "Give me _one. Good. Reason, _why I shouldn't strangle you right now?"

'_Because I'm too cute to strangle?' _She wanted to say, though decided against it as she spotted a vein pulsing dangerously on Harry's left temple. Unfortunately, someone broke the silence before her. "I would ask the same of you, Mister Potter," came a thick Scottish voice.

Iris paled as she saw Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Snape enter the bathroom. The two gentlemen were appraising the troll with curious gazes while the lady was glaring at the students. "Just what on earth happened here?!" She demanded.

"Please Professor," Hermione spoke up for the first time. "It's my fault. I've read about trolls and thought I could handle one. I went looking for it, it's my fault. If it weren't for Iris's brother…I-I'd be d-dead."

Iris traded looks with Susan and Hannah. _Hermione Granger_, the vaulted teacher's pet_ lying_ to a professor? Unreal…

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall breathed in disbelief. "I expected bett-

"That's not true professor!" Iris exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's not what happened at all!" Hannah piped up while Susan nodded her head vigorously.

"Well, well Minerva. It seems your vaunted lion has a habit of breaking the rules. Disobeying the Headmaster and lying in front of three professors no less. Tut tut." Professor Snape said with a smug look.

'_Mum's right…Snape really does has a flair for drama.' _Iris thought.

Professor McGonagall went red with indignation and Professor Flitwick began to chuckle heartily. "Perhaps, one of you could tell us the true events that led up to this moment? Hmm?" Said the short charms professor.

And so they did. They explained how, after his class that they shared with Gryffindor, they had heard Ron Weasely insulting Hermione. How they heard from a few friends that she was crying in the bathroom. And how they went looking for her when Quirrel announced the troll to the students.

"Hufflepuff loyalty at its finest," Flitwick said merrily. "Though I must admit, I find myself curious as to your part in this Harry."

"Indeed Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall said. "I find myself, quite astonished in fact, to find an exemplary student like yourself in this kind of situation."

'_Oh no! Is Harry going to get into trouble because of us?' _Iris though in panic. She didn't want her brother to get in trouble because of her. More importantly, she didn't want her brother mad at her _because_ she got him in trouble.

When, she looked up at her brother, she found him as impassive as ever. She wondered just how exactly he managed to remain calm all the time. "I was looking for Iris initially because I thought her spending it privately. Halloween is a…_difficult _time for our family."

Professor McGonagall seemed to pale and immediately her features softened.

'_Wow,' _Iris was impressed with her brother. _'He's _good_.' _

"When the stuttering fool announced a troll in the castle, I became quite distressed." Professor McGonagall went wide-eyed as Flitwick stifled a laugh behind his hand and Snape disguised his amusement by coughing into his hand. The girls were also struggling not to laugh. The way Harry insulted Professor Quirrel so nonchalantly made it all the more funny.

McGonagall looked like she was about to admonish her brother but, he managed to head her off. "I admit, in my distress I went chasing off after Iris instead of garnering the attention of one of my professors. Not my proudest moment."

"On the contrary, my dear boy, risking your own life for a sibling is a noble endeavor. You should be proud of yourself, Mister Potter." They all turned to see the Headmaster walk into the girl's room with a serene smile on his face.

Iris had to stop herself from laughing. Under normal circumstances, an old man walking into the women's restroom with a smile would be quite criminal. "I find myself disagreeing with you Headmaster." Harry said.

Everyone looked at Harry in surprise, Dumbledore most of all. It wasn't all that often people disagreed with Dumbledore to his face. "Had I failed, my sister would have lost her life, along with her three friends. I should have sought qualified help rather than rush recklessly into danger. There is nothing noble about risking my sister's life. In truth, I am quite ashamed of myself."

Harry's words seemed to greatly affect Professor Dumbledore as he went quite deathly pale.

For her part, Iris felt a rush of affection for Harry and quickly engulfed him in a tight hug. When she felt Harry's fingers begin to massage the back of her neck, a sudden warmth seeped into Iris and she nuzzled her face deeper into her brother's abdomen.

She was quickly hit with the realization that this was _her _brother. This was _her _Harry that was prepared to risk his life for hers. A light flutter went through her heart as her brother's fingers caressed her skin. She felt a flare of electricity through his touch and for some reason, she found herself fighting down a sudden hotness on her face.

She should be upset. She should be angry that because of her, Harry had ended up putting his life in danger. Instead, she grinned into him like the world's biggest fool.

She didn't bother to let go of Harry as the Headmaster spoke, instead she simply craned her head in his direction. "Regardless of your beliefs, you ventured to save your sister and that is, in itself, a great and noble action," Dumbledore seemed intent on insisting. "I have always believed that love for your famil-"

"Enough."

Iris, along with everyone was gob smacked as Harry so brazenly interrupted the Headmaster. No one more so than Dumbledore himself; who looked as if Harry just smacked him across the face. Though what really caught Iris's attention was how Harry's voice seemed to be layered with steel. Cold, sharp and deadly. She looked up at her brother in concern.

"There is _no _excuse for endangering the life of my sister. Consequently, you can expect a missive from House Potter on your apparent lack of security, Headmaster. Now if you excuse me, I will be taking these young ladies to see Madame Pomfrey." Taking her hand and turning toward the other three girls, her brother said, "Come."

As they swept past the professors, Iris could see that both McGonagall and Dumbledore wanted to say something but, by the way the very air seemed to ripple around Harry, they both thought better of it.

The walk to the Hospital Wing was a quiet one, not that Iris minded. She couldn't remember the last time Harry had ever held her hand. Though Iris had fight down the panic that seemed to grow as Harry's hand gripped hers tighter. Her heart was beating so loud that surely Harry could feel her pulse pound in her veins. She was torn between keeping up the physical contact with her brother and yanking her hand away to keep her embarrassment to herself.

The usual coldness that Harry projected was nowhere tonight and, instead, he seemed to give off a warmth that glazed over her. She shyly turned her head to take in her brother's profile.

His long legs lengthened his strides, causing the four girls to walk briskly too keep up with his pace. Rich, ebony hair was gently swept back in waves with a few strands, which became disheveled from his encounter with the troll, dipped over his eyes. Those very same eyes that seemed to glow in a steady glow of jade heat.

Not even bothering to knock, Iris was amazed to see Harry simply make a small gesture with his fingers and the doors to the Hospital Wing flew open. "How did you do that?" Hermione asked from behind breathlessly. "Wandless magic shouldn't be possible until you've fully developed your magical core. Not to mention the discipline necessary. Is there a book you learned from? Can I see it? Or did you learn from your parents? Can you-"

"Silence."

Harry's tone left no room for argument and Hermione immediate clamped shut. Iris shifted her neck to look at her. She looked rather put out but at the same time, there was a small dose of apprehension on her face. Susan kept her eyes firmly glued to the floor; bless her shy little heart. Hannah on the other hand was staring at her brother with stars in her eyes. Something which didn't seem to sit right with her.

"I suppose it was too much to hope that, with a troll loose in castle, no one would come in with injuries." Said an exasperated voice. The portly looking Hospital matron swiftly approached. Upon seeing Harry, her eyes widened.

"Mister Potter!" She exclaimed before she began to fuss over her robes and fix her nurses hat. "I wasn't expecting you. Come, let me give you a full exam. You will need to remove all your-"  
"Madam," her brother's voices interjected with strict command. "These young ladies, _if you please_."

The woman's eyes flashed with disappointment before she said, "Yes, well. Of course."

As she could practically feel irritation emanating from her brother, Iris looked between him and Madam Pomfrey with suspicion. _'Is she?...Could she be?...no…that can't be possible…can it?' _

Iris banished such thoughts from her head. There was no possible way that could happen, she was just being irrational. Besides, wasn't Madam Pomfrey a married woman? And the difference in age was huge.

Several minutes later, she was sitting on a hospital bed while the others were seated similarly throughout the room. As the matron hovered over, muttering diagnostic spells and prodding her with her wand, Iris felt a sudden rush of self-consciousness. Pomfrey was softly muttering things about her body that she would prefer not be said out loud.

It was only made worse as she caught Harry, out of the corner of her eyes, staring intently at her as he leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed. Once again, Iris found herself admiring her brother as Madam Pomfrey moved over to examine Susan.

Harry definitely went after her paternal gene pool whereas Iris had been born nearly the identical copy of her mother. The strong jaw and angular nose that were found on all Potter men were clearly displayed on his smooth ivory skin. He also had the high aristocratic cheek bones and sharp eyes of the Black family that he inherited through their grandmother. For the first time, Iris found herself being jealous of a _boy _over looks.

After nearly an hour of poking and prodding, Madam Pomfrey finally announced the results of her diagnosis of the four girls. "Miss Granger seems to have a few cuts and bruises but I'd like to keep her here overnight just in case." Hermione looked like she was going to protest but one strong glare and she immediately dropped her gaze to the floor. "Miss Bones, Miss Abbot and Miss Potter are free to go. Though I would like to add that Miss Potter needs more protein in her diet." After a momentary frown from Harry, Madam Pomfrey turned towards her. "I remember your mother young lady. Half-way through her second year she decided to become a vegetarian. I argued that a growing girl needs a balanced diet but she wouldn't have any of it."

Iris shuffled shyly. Her mother's dietary habit had rubbed off on her after she realized just how beautiful her mum was. "Lily was lucky enough to have a friend talented enough in potions to brew nutritional potions for her. You won't find me so eager to do the same and, unless you'd like to try your hand on convincing Professor Snape to do extra work on a student's behalf, I suggest you start eating better."

Iris nodded her head in embarrassment let down a curtain of hair to hide her reddening face and before the portly matron could say anything further, Harry's voice cut in. "Thank you Madam. I will be escorting these three back to the Hufflepuff common room."

Iris, Susan and Hannah quickly made their way to Harry as he walked out the Hospital Wing doors. Just as the four of them were about to leave, Madam Pomfrey's voice came out and said, "Feel free to return if you're not feeling well Mister Potter."

Iris laughed as she heard Harry mutter, "Not bloody likely."

Their walk to the Hufflepuff dorms was just as quiet as the one to the Hospital Wing, except this time, Harry was not holding her. Instead, the eldest of them was taking quick and long stride to their destination. The girls had to practically jog to keep up with him.

The three of them traded looks at the obvious shift in atmosphere and the change in Harry's demeanor. As she looked at him worriedly, Iris realized that, just like her father, Harry had broad shoulders that seemed to ripple under his robes as he walked.

As they reached the entrance to their common room, Harry whirled on them blocking their entry way. His eyes no longer shone with warmth and were replaced with the coldness that was so well associated with him and air seemed to grow heavy.

"I'm disappointed, _very_ disappointed in you three." His voice came out low and somber. Nevertheless, there was an undercurrent of iron beneath his soft tenor. All three of them looked down in shame and Iris felt her heart clench painfully.

Those were the very words she _didn't _want to hear. She would rather he rage and scream at her than stand there calmly and speak in such an emotionless tone. "I will not be so hypocritical as to say that you should have gone to a teacher but, the _sheer fact _you endangered your lives needlessly speaks volumes of your _stupidity!"_

His voice rose slightly at the end causing all three of them to flinch. She tried to say something, to apologize but her throat constricted and a lump she couldn't bear to swallow cut off her vocal cords. "The professors may have seen fit to not bestow any form of penance but you will find no such pity from me."

His voice hardened to such a point that Iris could _feel_ the metal grinding in the sound hissing from his throat. "Hannah, I cannot speak for your parents but, I _know_ your Aunt Amelia will be _very_ interested in tonight's events, Susan. Therefore, both you and Iris will write home explaining everything that happened and what you two decided to do."

Iris and Susan paled considerably. "Harry, you can't be serious!" Iris protested with tears in her eyes. Mum and Dad would be so furious with her. It was bad enough Harry was lecturing them but their families? She'd be grounded for all of summer.

"Deadly," her brother's expression darkened.

"You can't make us do that!" She tried to plead.

"If," Harry's voice dropped to pure silk and venom. "I do not hear a howler from Lily Potter or said witch barging down the gates of Hogwarts, within three days…I'll write a letter of my own."

Here, Harry smiled with such ice that all three girls visibly shivered. "A letter addressed to _Dorea _Potter." Iris felt what little color was left on her face and pure horror dawned on her.

Dorea Potter née Black.

One of the most famous witches in all of Magical Britain. She had served as _the_ most capable and significant Healer in the war against Grindelwald. She had revolutionized the Healing Arts on the theaters of Europe and during the chaos of the London Blitz. There was an entire wing in St. Mungo's Hospital named after her. And as a daughter of House Black, she was well versed in various offensive magic and curses as well. She was easily one of the most respected, and secretly feared, witches in Europe. Most terrifying of all…she was Iris's grandmother.

"H-Harry…t-that's n-n-not funny…" Iris whimpered.

"Am I laughing?" Her brother asked grimly.

As tears spilled from her eyes, Iris quickly hid herself behind a curtain of her red hair. Small sobs wracked her body as the guilt from her brother's admonishment built up like a dam and threatened to overwhelm well her.

She felt something touch underneath her jaw and caused her chin to tilt forwards. Her chocolate brown eyes rose to meet her brother's impassive face. Devoid of all emotion, Harry's stony expression was betrayed by his glowering eyes. The air seemed to reverberate as her brother's magic crackled and flooded the corridor.

Dark, unyielding and metallic, Harry's magic flooded through Iris, eliciting a hotness that churned her own magic. _This _was Harry. _This _was the brother she never really had gotten to know. He was so powerful, so complete…so…so entirely absolute in his existence.

Her breath hitched as his eyes drew closer. Emerald facets throbbed violently as mercurial silver veins crept through his eyes blazing eyes. Eyes that she thought that she could lose herself in for an eternity. Eyes that seethed greys and greens in a symphony of destruction. Closer and closer, she could feel the warmth of his breath as it stole over her. As she inhaled, she tasted his metallic scent mixed with a sweet tang and it filled her with hunger.

Just as she closed her eyes, with their tears still falling freely from her remorse, she felt lightning course through her body. A gentle steel brushed against her accursed scar as she heard a soft murmur. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

She opened her quickly…but he was gone.

* * *

Harry tore through the halls of Hogwarts as his magic threatened lash out and crush everything before him. The currents of magic raged as they were pushed by the tremendous power of Halloween. Twisting…tearing…the magic shook the very air as it washed over him. He could _taste_ the power coursing its way through the lifestreams of the planet. The Deadra in him was riding hard.

"Harry! There you are, my lad!"

The air shifted. Harry had to take a deep breath to steady himself and reign in his furious magic as it was compelled into a furor. He turned his head to see the tiny Charms professor quickly making his way towards him.

"Ah, I just wanted make sure you were alright." He said cheerfully.

"I'm fine." He said tersely.

"Yes, well, I admit I may have an ulterior motive in seeking you out. Perhaps we should relocate to my-" Flitwick stopped suddenly when there wasa sickening sound of flesh being crushed. "Good Heavens! What was that?!"

Harry quickly adjusted his robes to hide his neck. Blood vessels pulsed and pushed aside cartilage and muscle as they drove power through his neck and into his whirling mind.

"Peeves," Harry said through gritted teeth. "I just saw him."

"Oh…well in that ca-…Harry! You look as pale as a ghost! Are you sure you're alright dear boy? Perhaps we should go see Poppy? She'll fix yo-"

"I just saw her."

Flitwick stared at him in moderate shock. It was completely out of character for him to be abrupt with his head of house. Blinking a few times Professor Flitwick said, "Are you certain you're feeling alright Harry?"

'_Do I look alright to you, you bloody diminutive freak!'_

"Perfectly fine sir," he said with a forced smile. "Just tired after tonight's events."

"Yes, well in that case," Flitwick said nervously. "You'd best be off to bed. Goodnight, my dear boy."

Harry scowled heavily as he watched Flitwick hobble away. The entire time he had been suppressing his magic from tearing into the Charms professor. The need to overwrite and take control of his mind was _overwhelming. _His magic _demanded_ that he strip the man's mind and leave nothing but order. There was a reason he had been known as the Enemy of Freedom.

Harry turned around and caught sight of his reflection in a decorative mirror that hung on the corridor wall. Harry Potter's emerald was quickly being consumed by the mercury that was Jyggalag.

His teeth parted to let out a growl of irritation and his magic responded by taking one of the suits of armor along the hall and crumpling it like tin foil. It was getting far too dangerous for him to suppress his magic now. No longer being able to take it anymore, Harry tore right through Hogwarts's wards and apparated right into the chamber that served as the meeting point between for the Princes.

It was one of the many secrets he derived from the minds of his father. For a Lord of a Most Noble and Ancient House, one would think James Potter was better at Occlumency. This particular room, could only be reached if one was doing exceptionally well in their studies. No doubt, the Hogwarts Four used it as a way to reward their best students. The use of the room had, apparently been lost and forgotten over the centuries. Being the genius he was, it was impossible for him _not _to be allowed entry. And Daphne was no slouch herself.

Speaking of Daphne.

Harry turned around and, had he been…well…_normal, _his mouth would have fallen to the floor. Daphne stood there wearing perhaps the single most revealing robe he's ever had the pleasure of seeing. The front was practically nonexistent as it openly showed the valley between her, admittedly, impressive breasts and dipped to just right under her navel.

As she took walked towards him, her legs came into full view from under her robes and he had to stop himself from staring at them. Quite frankly, he was having a difficult time with _just _staring openly at her.

Her arms, the only part of her that actually _was _covered, had wisps of smoky darkness coiling into the air. Her dark sapphire eyes smoldered into his now entirely silver ones. A dark hunger openly lay naked as her eyes held a hard glint.

She gave a throaty hum as a single hand rose and her fingers sank into his hair. The cool touch on the pads of her fingertips sent shivers down his spine and his magic fluctuated wildly in response. "Having a hard time controlling yourself, Harry?" She finally said.

He tilted his head. Despite the sheer uncontrollable urges of his Deadra nature, he could not deny the Prince. His need to understand was quickly taking control and Daphne seemed to realize that Prince of Logic was assuming dominance within his Deadric mind.

She smirked as she trailed a finger down his jaw. A single nail dug a light trench over his neck as it came to a rest on his collar bone. Pressing herself closer and placing both palms on his chest, Daphne mocked him. "Think Harry, think."

He frowned heavily as her arms snaked around his neck.

Observation: Daphne was calling him Harry. She _never _called him Harry. Only Potter or by his Deadric name.

Observation: Daphne was being very…_touchy_ with him. She normally liked to keep her distance from males and only ever openly embraced Astoria.

Observation: Tonight was Halloween. Deadra did stupid things on Halloween.

Conclusion:…Oh…..

"….I _hate _Hallow-mmphhghhh!"

* * *

**Author's Note: Deadra and Halloween do not mix! In case you didn't notice, Harry was _way_ out of character in this chapter. If you read carefully, you know why. **

**Pairings are final. Harry/Daphne with a side of Fleur and if you have the cash a bottle of finely aged Narcissa to go along with it. **

**IRIS is not a pairing. She's sibling fluff to heavily confuse you people and give you false hope. **

**I still need a beta! Four people turned me down because they didn't get the Elder Scrolls thing. Am I the only person on this website who played Oblivion/Skyrim and read Harry Potter!?**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**CE-Nex is Out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Chapter Six of Oblivion is here! Loving the comments and all the support you guys are throwing at me. like I've said, this story was in my head for a very long time and I've wanted to put it out here. **

**It's been pointed out to me I've been spelling 'Daedric' wrong this whole time...I'm so incredibly embarrassed.**

**Hope You Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter6: Princely Games**

Harry parted his lips and let in a deep rush of air that filled his lungs. At the same time, he drew in his magic, twisting it, pressing it until he completely had it reigned in. Even well into the next morning, where the eldritch supremacies of Halloween no longer reigned, he was still having minute difficulties managing his magic.

Exhaling softly, he felt the coils of magic within him expand and cool into a liquid respite. As his eyes snapped open, the dull glow of power faded leaving behind emotionless spheres of void intelligence. He was fully in control again.

"Why brother, you're absolutely glowing! Are you perhaps pregnant?"

Several conversation ceased at the Ravenclaw table as numerous heads turned toward the bouncing figure that had come to halt just next to him. He slowly turned his head toward a knowing smile that caused his recently regained control to quickly evaporate.

"I can assure you,' he said with narrowed eyes. "That I do not possess such anatomy."

"Hmm…then perhaps you managed to impregnate someone?" She said while gazing dazedly at the ceiling of the Great Hall with a knowing smile and absently plopping fried eggs into her mouth. Several people choked on their breakfast.

"What's this now Potter?" Roger Davies said with vindictive glee. "You goin' after little firsties are you? I should have known a sick bast-arkkhh"

Harry didn't even bother to look at Davies as he reached out with his magic and began to constrict his pharynx. Bloody idiot was lucky to be surrounded by so many witnesses. Otherwise Harry would have crushed his heart.

Harry took advantage of Davies stealing everyone's attention when he thrashed helplessly on the floor. As Luna's eyes sparkled with mischief dark mirth, he leaned down and said, "Have you heard of tetrodotoxin, _dearest _sister?"

When she warily shook her head, he raised an eyebrow. "No? It's a rather curious neurotoxin that binds to the sodium channel of the nerves and inhibits any and all electrical impulses and even the slightest exposure may result in cardiac arrest."

Luna looked at him dumbly and Harry had a pale smile played across his lips as he grabbed ahold of his goblet and held it precariously over her pumpkin juice.

"Why a simple gram of this substance," He said as Luna's smile fell along with the single drop that spilled over the rim of his goblet and into hers. "Would kill nearly everyone at this table," He finished simply.

Luna gulped audibly and turned a rather unflattering shade of pale white when Harry's smile curved absolutely predator. He pushed her plate closer towards her and said with the cruelest glint in his eye, "Did you like your eggs?"

Luna opened and closed her mouth several times before she hastily made her exist, spouting a poor excuse of having to check her Herbology essay. He chuckled darkly as he watched her retreating figure. However, he quickly lost his amusement as he felt a pair of eyes scrutinizing him.

Harry's head slowly rotated as he identified Daphne as the one who was closely inspecting him. She had a look of pure suspicion as she glared at him, silently questioning with her eyes as to what he had done to her sister. A lesser man would have sneered at her but, he had far too much pride to do such childish things so he simply appraised her with a remote expression.

She was obviously annoyed by his mask as he could see the irritation flash across her magical aura. In a sudden change of demeanor, Daphne's eyes bubbled with mischief as she reached towards him with her magic. Harry was hesitant to allow the connection; still, he was not about to back down from the other Prince.

The moment their magic connected, his mind was assailed with images of entwined limbs and bouncing flesh. Sweat and frustration filled his nostrils and pleasure fused with pain ripped across his body.

Immediate, his Occlumency barriers were up and he ruthlessly crushed the sensation she tried to thrust into him. His Daedric magic rose in great waves as it tore apart her tendrils of black magic that attempted to fasten on to him.

As she gave him a smoldering look, his lips curled in disgust and frustration emanated from him in a surge. It wasn't what he had _done _with Daphne that made him angry. It was the sheer fact that he _had _done it in the first place. He didn't like not being in control. He quite loathed it. Millennia of being trapped as a jabbering fool made him extremely wary of any form of constraint.

The worst part was, however, simply not knowing.

He didn't know _what_ Daphne's endgame was and that alone drove him to great lengths of frustration. Nocturnal, was one of the most difficult Princes to comprehend, when it came to her nature. It used to be practically impossible to discern her intentions and there were times where it seemed that her action had _no _intention.

Oh, he had theories as to what she was planning. Dozens of them in fact. And many of them had rather unpleasant endings for him. Still, he could not create a concrete conclusion on pure conjecture alone. Time would tell what she had up her sleeve.

Harry nearly let out a groan in annoyance. There were times where he questioned his decision to return Daphne her memories as Nocturnal. Truthfully, there was a good part of him that demanded that he murder her for the part she played in his accursed confinement in the old world. Yet, he chose to give her back her station as a Daedric Prince.

He wasn't so foolish as to allow grievances from an _entirely different universe_ to dictate his actions. Having Nocturnal with him was far more beneficial than having her dead. Two Princes generated more Daedric power than one alone and the more Daedric energy in the world, the stronger he was.

He could always kill her later.

He was brought back to shifting his attention to his surroundings when he heard a sudden cry of, "He's not breathing!" Harry blinked as he turned to see several of his house peers and numerous professors surrounding the downed figure of a rather blue Roger Davies.

'_I knew I was forgetting something,' _Harry thought whimsically as he recalled his magic and Davies began to take enormous gulps of air and thrashed like a fish out of water. " ! Are you quite all right?" Their shared head of house asked as Davies tried and failed to sit up.

Harry silently mused to himself as Professor McGonagall and Hagrid attempted to pick up the downed boy. Well, McGonagall attempted, Hagrid easily hefted the semi-conscious boy to his feet and kept him there. "Best take him to Poppy, Hagrid," McGonagall said in rather worried tones.

As the hulking groundskeeper half-supported half-dragged Davies away, Professor Flitwick shook his said, "A lesson to _all _of you. Do chew your food. You don't want to reduce the oxygen flow to your brains."

"As if the dunderhead _had _any brain-cells in the first place," Professor Snape loudly intoned from behind his edition of the Daily Prophet on the opposite end of the staff table. His remark earned a great deal of laughs from the majority of the student body and caused Professor McGonagall to indignantly chide the man, "Professor Snape!"

Harry, for his part, agreed with the Potions Master. The worm was of no great loss. Why hover over his near demise? If anything, they should be mourning the failed opportunity to purify the gene pool.

"Ah, Harry! There you are." Flitwick said merrily as he approached him. "I must say that you are looking much better than you were last night."

Harry nodded his head in acknowledgement and said, "It was a stressful night, I needed some well needed rest Professor."

"And I'm glad to see you've gotten it!" Flitwick said happily. "Now, I was wondering if I could discuss with you that matter I told of you last night. If you'd join me in my office after breakfast?"

"I'd be delighted to, Professor." Harry said evenly.

"Excellent, excellent! I'll see you soon!"

"Actually, Filius," McGonagall called out as she walked towards the two after admonished the Potions Professor. "I was initially on my way to tell Mister Potter, before Mister Davies had his dilemma, that the Headmaster requests his presence after breakfast."

'Oh, dear," Flitwick said disappointedly. "Perhaps some other time then, I suppose.'

"Why don't you come with me then, Professor?" Harry simply suggested. "It is not unusual, after all, for a head of house to be present during a meeting between a student and the Headmaster. Afterwards we could head to your office as it is on the same floor as the Headmaster's."

"Ah, I'm afraid that isn't possible Harry." The Charms Professor sighed. "I have class in fifteen minutes and was hoping to speak with you beforehand."

"Perhaps tonight, then? I'll come by, shall we say, six 'o'clock?" Harry asked.

"Perfect!" The diminutive professor exclaimed. "I'll see you then, Harry!"

Flitwick then scurried off to his seat on the staff table and began a conversation with Professor Sinistra. "I hope," Professor McGonagall began strictly. "That you'll find me an adequate replacement for Professor Flitwick?"

Gathering his belongings and neatly placing them into his bag, Harry said, "Lead the way Professor." Together, the two of them headed off to the third floor which gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's tower. When McGonagall gave the password as 'Ice Mice' Harry had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. _'Of all the asinine things…'_

As they entered the office, Dumbledore looked up from a series of papers he was examining and beamed at the two of them. "Ah, Harry my boy, so good to see you." He said with that blasted twinkle in his eyes and then turned towards Professor McGonagall. "Thank you for bringing him Minerva, I will make sure to see to Mister Potter's needs."

The Deputy Headmistress looked momentarily torn at the obvious dismissal the Headmaster had given as she had told Harry that she would stand in for his head of house. In the end, much to Harry's amusement, her trust in the Headmaster won out and she left.

"Come, come Harry, have a seat." Dumbledore said while graciously gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk. Harry, looked upon the simple wooden chair with slight distaste right before he drew his wand, much to Dumbledore's immense surprise, and tapped the seat. Immediately, the chair grew a long, broader back and the wood became a rich mahogany. Velvet inlay wrapped around the arms, back and seat of the, now throne-like, chair.

Harry sat with his back straight, legs crossed and forearms carefully draped over the arms of the chair. Keeping his face impassive and grey, Harry took advantage of Dumbledore's stunned silence and said, "What can I do for you Headmaster?"

Blinking away his stupor, Dumbledore smiled at Harry and said, "I must say, that is the first time someone saw fit to transfigure my furniture right before me and what a marvelous transformation too!" Harry didn't say anything and simply continued silently appraise him. If Dumbledore was looking for a sheepish apology on his behalf then he was in for a great disappointment.

As the younger wizard said nothing, an uncomfortable silence stretched between the two. Uncomfortable for Dumbledore. For Harry, it was fairly amusing.

"Yes, well," Dumbledore said somewhat hesitantly. "I was hoping to discuss last night events with you, my dear boy."

"What's there to discuss?" Harry said as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Nothing serious, I just wished to hear your side of the tale," Dumbledore chuckled.

"Tale?" Harry said amusedly. "I believe I gave my _'tale' _last night professor."

"Yes, well," Dumbledore said, continuing to smile while the twinkle in his eye grew. "I was hoping to get all the facts together. The Board of Governors prefer reports handed to them in the most thorough fashion."

"And what 'facts' would those be Headmaster?" Harry said, losing the smile on his face and letting the more Daedric aspects of his personality come into play. "How the troll, one of the dullest species on earth, managed to gain entry to Hogwarts? How it managed to corner four first year girls and nearly kill them? Or perhaps how a student managed to subdue the beast instead of the staff?"

Dumbledore lost the smile on his face and gave a Harry a strong look of censure. "I see that you have your issues in regards to last night's events, Harry."

"I am not impressed with you and your staff Headmaster." Harry said tonelessly. "When it was announced the troll was within the dungeons of Hogwarts, you sent all students to their dormitories. I find it hard to believe that you, having been a Hogwarts Professor for over fifty years, forgot that both Hufflepuff and Slytherin have their common rooms on the lower levels of the castle."

Dumbledore paled considerably at the blunder he made came to light. There were several students who could have lost their lives with that little mistake. In his defense, he was more worried about the stone that could be used to bring Voldemort back to full power.

"You're quite right my dear boy. It was incredibly foolish to make such an oversight. I can assure you it won't happen in the future." Desperate to turn the focus of the conversation, Dumbledore added, "However, I couldn't help but notice you said that you 'subdued the beast.' Do you consider killing a form of subduing?"

"Subdue," Harry said tonelessly. "To overcome with superior force; to overwhelm. Whether that means binding, relocating of terminating; I will _subdue _any threat to my sister and myself, Headmaster."

"Do you not feel any remorse for taking a life?" Dumbledore asked gravely.

Harry answered with a question of his own. "Do you regret me saving myself and the lives of four others?" Dumbledore looked honestly insulted at Harry's words and said, "Of course not! But did you honestly feel the need to take a life? Do you truly feel no remorse for taking a life?"

"Do _you?_ Every time you take a step and kill countless creatures that cannot be seen by your eyes, do you wallow in despair? What is the matter of one death, when it rains innumerably over the rest of the world?"

Dumbledore shook his disappointedly, "You should not belittle death so, my boy. It is a terrible thing, to rob the life of any living creature."

"And yet, such is the nature of the world," Harry replied evenly. "It is a truth of this world. You needlessly suppress that which will only assault in full force to reassume balance."

Dumbledore frowned heavily and sighed as if he were greatly tired. "I fear that my sources were correct."

"Oh," Harry asked with a single eyebrow raised.

"It seems that this rift between your family and you has turned you down a jaded and shrouded path." Dumbledore said unhappily.

Harry didn't let any emotion show though he was definitely surprised. He certainly wasn't expecting Dumbledore to bring up the subject of the schism he had created with his parents. For that matter, how did Dumbledore even know? He had taken an abundant expanse of measures so that anyone who had prolonged contact with the Potter's, would ignore his existence for the most part. Not to mention, his mother wasn't exactly fond of the Headmaster ergo, there should be little to no contact between the Headmaster and his parents.

It had taken only a second, however, for Harry to realize how Dumbledore gleaned that particular piece of information; Snape. He'd have to take care of that loose end soon enough. For now, he'd throw Dumbledore down a different path and plot around his mother's best friend at an alternative date.

"Sources?" Harry intoned with a hint of contempt in his voice. "Keeping tabs on the private life of other families…how _criminal _of you Headmaster."

This had the effect of Dumbledore's eyes widening considerably and several of the portraits of the previous headmasters and headmistresses to whisper amongst themselves. Dumbledore's disappointed act went out the window as he attempted to lightly play off his remark. "Not at all, my dear boy." He said good-naturedly. "What I simply mean is what I've heard from the grapevine."

Harry was duly unimpressed. Was this man really a politician? Was he really going to give Harry such a blatant opening in their verbal spout, however one-sided it was? Obviously, the man was far too used to dealing hormonal teenagers and not Daedric Princes capable of tearing him to shreds. "You're throwing accusations on my family formed on baseless gossip? Forgive me Headmaster, but I find my faith in you plummeting at an astonishing rate."

Dumbledore opened his mouth but Harry stopped him by holding up his hand in a gesture of command. He'd had quite enough of this nonsense and it was wasting valuable time. Namely, _his _valuable time.

Harry stood up, leaving the Headmaster agape and said, "Perhaps, we may be able to continue this conversation when you are in a more agreeable mood, Headmaster. Have a pleasant day."

However, just as Harry turned around and before Dumbledore could even say anything, the door to the Headmaster's office opened and Professor McGonagall walked through looking rather miffed. "You have guests, Albus."

Both wizards looked on in surprise as two others walked into the circular office. Apparently Iris went ahead with her punishment and sent that letter he told her to. How did he know? Well the red haired woman throwing herself at him was a big clue for starters.

"My baby!"

* * *

Harry had to hold back a grimace as his mother refused to let go of him. After she and his father barged into Dumbledore's office, she had proceeded to smother and fuss over him as if he were a small child. The kisses to the face, the hands inspecting for injuries and the looks of tortured yearning had seriously taken a toll on his, arguably, limited patience.

The mantra of, '_I will not strangle my mother_' was quickly beginning to wear thin.

What made the experience even worse, was the fact that he could do absolutely nothing about it. For one reason nor another, she had taken to wearing the Potter House ring. Family rings had heavy enchantment on them that casted numerous protections over the bearer. One of them being, the protection of the mind from intrusion.

It wasn't that he couldn't get through them. It would be simple for him to tear through the wards. Child's play, quite frankly, for the combined prowess of his mind and magic but, the after effects would have disastrous consequences for his mother. Not that he really cared but, it was far too troublesome to have an insane mother whose every sense had taken complete leave of her. That and the sheer _indignity _of it_. _Honestly, to have a raving lunatic as a mother…how embarrassing.

Though Harry was curious as to _why_ his mother had taken to wearing the ring. The only time she truly wore it, was when she went to attend formal galas or events at the ministry. Was there some new threat to his family? If there was, the he would deal with the perpetrators swiftly and mercilessly. It was fine if _he _manipulated and magically experimented on his family because they were _his_. If anyone else dared to touch what was his, they'd quickly find themselves a pile of smoldering ash. It was a matter of personal pride, after all.

"Harry, sweetie, how have you been? Do you need anything from home? Do you want me to cook you some food if Hogwarts isn't agreeing with you?" His mother fired on him while clutching his arms rather painfully and desperately looking him up and down.

"Ease up there, Lily," his father said with a concerned expression. "You're scaring the poor kid, hell you're scaring _me_."

His mother sent a withering glare towards his father that had the elder Potter recoiling in fear of his life.

After screaming herself hoarse at Dumbledore, with his father adding in a strongly worded phrase here and there, his mother had dragged him off to spend time together. They had just left the Headmaster's tower as his father cheerfully said, "Let's go get Iris from the Gryffindor common room."

Those words caused Harry to stop in his tracks and frown at his parents. Immediately, Lily Potter assumed something was wrong with her son and her grip tightened on her son. Harry knew he'd have several hand shaped bruises on his person by the end of the day.

"Harry," she said with apprehension written all over face. "What's wrong? Do you have a tummy ache? Is your head hurting? Do feel like lying down?"

Gently brushing the back of his mother's hand from his forehead, Harry had to push down the violent need to reach out and strangle his mother instead. He looked between his parents and said, "Iris hasn't told you, has she?"

"Told us what?" James Potter said with a look of uncertainty.

Harry sighed to himself for what, he _knew_, wouldn't be the last time today. He had assumed that Iris would not care about the house prejudice that there father seemed to carry with a childish zeal. Obviously, he had not picked up the fact she did when he had last used Legilimency on her. "Iris," he said slowly. "Is not a Gryffindor. She's a Hufflepuff."

There was a moments silence before his father went off, "_What!_"

He rolled his eyes as his mother looked on in concern at her husband, "Iris is a bloody _Hufflepuff! _My daughter is _way _too good for that usel-"

"James!" His mother said angrily before she turned towards Harry and asked imploringly, "Harry, why wouldn't Iris tell us that she wasn't in Gryffindor."

There were times, where Harry marveled at human stupidity. Even after his father's irrational outburst, his mother _still_ had to ask why. How he lamented that he was related to woman who was obtuse to her children and a man who never grew up. It was only made worse when he realized that his mother's affliction was partly his fault. And what really set him off was that this particular bloody mess was entirely his fault because it was _he_ who had told Iris to write to their parents. Which in turn, prompted this whole fiasco.

One day, when he finally ruled the world, he'd blow Halloween right off the bloody calendar.

* * *

Lily was rather ecstatic about the fact she was finally holding her baby in her arms. She had spent the last two months in utter misery as she thought about how horrible of a mother she had been to her son. She couldn't fathom what had happened to her.

Harry had been her world, once upon a time. During his early years, everything in her life revolved around her precious baby boy. So what had changed? What had twisted her enough to make her ignore her own firstborn son? She had wondered if it had something to do with Halloween ten years ago. If the wild dark magic of Voldemort's assault had done something to her.

She had made a vow that she would change and be there for Harry from now on. That she would endeavor to do everything to keep him safe and happy. Not just him, but for Iris as well. She would _be _there for her children.

Unfortunately, one of said children, was currently giving her a look that plainly read as, 'Are you stupid?'

Lily was proud of many things in her life despite the humble background she came from in comparison to her husband. One of those things she was inordinately proud of was her intelligence. She considered herself quite brilliant. Not out of arrogance but, out of right and accolade.

The fact that her son was so clearly questioning her mental capacity was rather peeving and downright provoking. However, before she could even say anything, Harry gave James a rather pointed look before setting his blank stare back on her. It was that simple action that made it click in her mind.

"It's your fault!" She suddenly exclaimed before smacking her husband rather heavily on the arm and prompting from him a childish yelp of, "Ow!"

"What was that for Lils!" he said indignantly while rubbing his sore shoulder.

"Iris was afraid of how'd you react! And how can you blame her with how immature you are with these stupid reactions! Small wonder she never told us!"

She could see a flash of guilt run through his eyes as he looked at the stone floor in shame and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. She sighed in exasperation. At least he's acknowledging his mistake. The old James would have argued his point in the most stubborn fashion.

"Yeah, I guess I kind of overreacted. It's just that the Potters have been in Gryffindor for nine generations. Ah well, at least Harry's a lion," James mumbled.

Upon hearing his name, Lily immediately returned her attention to her son only to find that he was now standing several feet away from. How'd he get that far? She was holding on to his arm not five seconds ago. Then she caught sight of the look on his face and her heart clenched painfully.

Harry was looking far from being impressed, much to her shame, he was looking at them as if they were idiots of the highest degree. To see her son look at her with such contempt, would be agonizing for any mother. For Lily Potter, who devoted her entire being to the people she loved, it was like dying over and over, trapped in an endless spiral of death.

It was when she finally saw the blue and bronze lines running across his tie that her eyes went wide in realization. "You're a Ravenclaw?" She asked breathlessly as tears welled into her eyes.

'_Both…I had no idea to which house _either_ of my children belonged to…' _

The feeling of misery became unbearable as Harry continued to look over her with nothing but contempt in his eyes. It was only made worse when James opened his mouth, clearly displaying their ignorance in regards to their own child.

"You're a Ravenclaw?! Huh…never figured that…there goes nine generations worth of tradition." He muttered somewhat bitterly.

Lily felt like screaming at James but, the grief lodged in her throat wouldn't let her make a single sound. "At least you're not a snake," James said sarcastically. "Don't think I'd be able to bear the shame."

She was amazed at how James couldn't see the obvious signs of disgust that that were making themselves on Harry's face. _Lily _was feeling incredibly disappointed at James's immature drabble. "I'll be sure to tell Grandmother Dorea what you think of her next time we speak," Harry said in a monotone voice.

Her husband went pale and began to splutter incoherently. "H-hey hey, now. I was only joking kid. No need to get dearest mum involved, you know?"

Harry didn't say a word, leading to an awkward silence between the parents and their child. Yet, the amount of displeasure in his eyes did not lessen. "I have lessons to attend therefore I will see you at a later date."

Lily's eyes widened and panic tore its way through her chest as she remembered the day that Harry had left on the Hogwarts express. She practically ran to catch up with Harry. "Harry, wait!" She exclaimed as he reached out to grab his hand.

However, just as her hand neared his, an abrupt shock jolted up her arm, causing her to jump back. Harry came to a sudden halt and he turned around slowly, his eyes narrowed dangerously. James was by her side instantly and caught sight of the way her eyes were wide in horror. "Lils, what's wrong? Did something happen?" He said quickly while grabbing her hands in his.

She turned her face towards him but kept her eyes on her son. After a tense second, when she said nothing, Harry finally broke the profound silence in the corridor. "A static shock it seems," he said in a smooth voice. "Nothing to worry about…mere static electricity…"

The entire time, Harry's eyes were locked with Lily's and she couldn't help but despair at how different their seemingly identical orbs. Why, on earth, were eyes so cold and devoid of any form of emotion? As he spun and walked away, Lily felt her chest constrict painfully as longing for her son filled her.

It was nearly impossible to disguise a child from its mother by any means. A mother's magic was instinctively tied to her child's. There was an unbelievably strong bond between the two; as only nine months of caring and nurturing a life within oneself could create. Yet, when she had reached for his hand and her magic desperately called out to his, Harry's magic instantly reacted as it violently tore and shred every connection she tried to make. When magic, so mechanically, responds with such viciousness, it can only mean one thing.

Harry saw her as an enemy.

In that moment, Lily Potter's heart shattered and she fell to the floor in unconscious tears.

* * *

Nearly two months had passed since Harry's impromptu meeting with his parents had occurred. It had caused quite the excitement within the castle when the Lady Potter had collapsed from exhaustion. Many claimed it was stress from having just left a meeting with the Headmaster where she learned that both her children were confronted with a fully grown mountain troll without any adult present. Regardless of the actual reason, the Hogwarts rumor mill was in full operation and by the end of the day, Albus Dumbledore had received numerous complaints from concerned parents and ministry official. The old man had taken a significant hit in his political clout for the time being.

Another event occurred that night, one which Harry thought was rather cumbersome but only worked in his advantage. He had finally, had that discussion with Flitwick in his office. Which was why he was currently sitting in the library across from a rather nervous Neville Longbottom.

"You're essay is not inclusive enough." Harry said flatly.

Neville looked downcast by the sudden proclamation by the elder student. Harry had been a very harsh critic for the last few weeks and an even stricter taskmaster.

Flitwick had asked Harry to tutor Neville as the boy seemed to need extra help in his course work. It seemed to baffle the teachers how a boy, born of such talented parents, was so mediocre if not outright pathetic. Harry had told him he would agree to tutor the Longbottom heir within the next month as he had several projects to wrap up on his end.

This was the seventh time the two of them were meeting up in the library to go over Neville's assigned homework. "I can see parts where you took phrases from the textbook and simply moved words here and there to avoid plagiarism. You need to add commentary to further expound on your assertions."

The shy Gryffindor kept his gave down and began to mumble so softly that, if it weren't for his enhanced senses, he wouldn't be able to make out a single word.

"_Look _at me when you're speaking at me." Harry's voice overrode in a commanding tone.

The boy had serious self-confidence issues that were increasingly becoming a hamper to his abilities. That, and it was annoying to end. The only reason he even agreed to help the brat was because of the centuries long ties House Potter held with House Longbottom. When Harry finally assumed the mantle of Lord Potter, a pliable and politically inept ally would be useless to him. By the end of this year, Harry would turn the cowardly lion into a shining example of a scion of a Noble and Most Ancient House.

Well, it was either _that_, or break him into countless little pieces and put him back together as a mindless drone.

There was another small part of Harry, which acted on pure sympathy. Not for Neville but rather for his mother. The woman had bravely defied the remnants of the Death Eaters and was cursed into insanity as a result. A fate, he was all too familiar with. As it stood, Alice Longbottom was _his _godmother. That alone sealed the fate of any who dared harm what he rightly saw as those under his domain. Never mind the fact he was probably the first Daedric Prince in diapers at the time, Alice Longbottom would have fallen under the banner of Jyggalag.

As Neville flinched upon meeting Harry's gaze, the Prince seethed inwardly but collected himself before speaking. "Your herbology essays are perfectly fine, in fact they are quite exceptional. So why are all of your other papers so woefully lacking?"

His gaze fell immediately and he returned to mumbling.

"_Look at me!" _Harry hissed, the first hint of anger creeping into his voice.

And once again the boy flinched and he shrunk inwardly as he timidly brought his gaze upwards. "Those subjects are hard for me to understand. Herbology just comes easy to me." He muttered quietly.

Harry thought hard for a few seconds. And in those few seconds, his mind went to work like a massive machine churning out product after product. "Neville are you abused at home?" immediately, the boy looked up horrified and let out a resolute, "No!"

"Good, now shut up. We're in a library."

The boy went quiet again at the admonishment.

"Do you find me so horridly repulsive that you cannot even bear to look at me?"

Neville shook his head vigorously.

"Then, pray tell, why are you being so difficult in regards to holding something as simple as a conversation?"

'_Oh wonderful,' _Harry though sardonically. _'He's going to cry.'_

Indeed, Neville's eyes began to water and Harry could tell he was moments away from bolting away. Not that Harry would let him escape. "Here is what we are going to do," Harry said evenly. "Every time you fail to uphold the demands of proper etiquette in conversation, I'm going to curse you. Painfully."

Neville's eyes went wide and he paled considerably. "Do you understand you maladroit protozoa?" Neville, for his part, had no idea what the older student called him but agreed regardless for fear of his life by nodding his head enthusiastically. When Harry narrowed his eyes and drew his wand Neville spluttered, "Y-Yes, I mean yes!"

"Good, now keep your voice down, we're in a bloody library!" Harry shushed austerely. Pointing to the boy's Charms textbook he said, "Let us practice the enlargement charm. You remember the incantation, yes?"

"Yes, **Engorgio**," Neville said as he pointed his wand toward the intended target. When nothing happened Harry extended his senses towards the brat and said, "Again."

"**Engorgio,**" Neville said, except this time with less enthusiasm.

Harry watched the boy's magical aura focus around his hand, attempting to channel and direct the magic. However, the ambient magicks of the wand were interfering with the flow. In fact, they downright obstructive.

Glaring at the boy, Harry asked, "Where did you obtain your wand?"

Tilting his head in confusion, Neville said, "It's my father's."

Harry gave him a blank look and finally said, "Why aren't you using yours?"

"This is my wand." He said. "My Gran said I should use my father's because he was a powerful wizard."

There was moment's silence right before Harry let lose a colorful string of curses and swears that had the Longbottom heir turning a bright crimson.

"You daft troglodyte! You do not just _take _someone's wand and use it as your own unless you are compatible with it! You could wield the Staff of Merlin himself and it would be as useful to you as dragon dung if it didn't respond to you!"

"B-but, but my Gran-"

"Is utterly ludicrous and inane if she believes such half-baked logic. Up! Up at once, I say!"

Harry was in a furor. It was moronic people like the Longbottom Matriarch that dictated such preposterous fallacies that infuriated him more than anything. It's powerful so it'll work!

'_What kind of fucked up logic is that!' _ He roared within the confines of his mind.

It was a total and utter mockery of his demesne as Daedric Prince of Order and Logical Deduction. If he ever had the misfortune to come across Augusta Longbottom, and he knew he would, he would turn the woman into a smear across whatever nearest pavement!

"W-Where are we going?" The boy asked frantically once he had gathered his bearings and Harry dragged him off. As Harry barreled through the halls of Hogwarts while dragging Neville around with him, he ran across Iris and her friends along with the Granger girl.

"Harry! How ar-," She began to ask but swiftly turned astonished as she saw him hold Neville's upper arm in a vice-like grip and no small hint of irritation playing across his face. "What are you doing with Neville!?"

"Away with you!" He growled as he led the Gryffindor past the girls and towards McGonagall office. As he stood outside the portrait that served as the guardian, he said, "Harry Potter wishes to speak with Professor McGonagall in regards to one of her students. Specifically Neville Longbottom."

The medieval woman standing within the frame said, "Very well." And walked out of her painting to, no doubt one that was within the office. After several moments, which involved Iris and her three friends catching up to him, the woman returned and said, "You may enter."

"Harry what's going on?" Iris said. Harry promptly ignored her and pushed Neville into McGonagall's office, none to gently, once the painting swung forward and went in after him. As Iris and the girls went to follow suit, Harry stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder and roughly pushing her back. "Out," he commanded in a monotone voice.

He was hardly in the mood to entertain his sister at the moment. He had just realized that he had wasted three weeks' worth of tutoring sessions because he had not done something as simple as actually _observe _the boy's magic. As well as the complete travesty that the brat's grandmother committed against him and his Daedric nature. This entire situation was a head crusher for him

As the portrait swung behind them, Harry marched straight up to, a rather bewildered, Deputy Headmistress and jabbed his finger at Neville as if he were accusing him of a crime and said in pure tedium, "He's been using his father's wand all along."

Professor McGonagall looked at him dazedly for several moments before her eyes landed on Neville and understanding lit her eyes. She let out a tired sigh as she took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge her nose.

"It would be something so simple yet foolish," she muttered to herself.

After a moment or two, she straitened herself and said, "Mister Longbottom, sit. We have much to discuss. As for you Mister Potter, I thank you for bringing this to my attention. Merlin knows it answers so many question. However your presence is no longer necessary and I'd ask you keep this to your discretion."

Harry nodded and said, "Good-day Professor."

"Good-day Mister Potter and, once again, thank you."

As Harry left her office, he was immediately accosted by his sister, who seemed to be waiting for him. "Harry what was all that about?! Why were you in such a rush, dragging poor Neville like that? And pushing me away like that? Rude much?"

"The answer to your first two questions is an emphatic, 'none of your business.''' Harry said tersely. Then he looked down at her and glared. "The answer to your third, 'do something about it.'"

Iris opened her mouth to say something but Harry did not give her the opportunity and briskly walked away. "Hey!" she shouted from behind him but he continued to ignore her and went to find Daphne or Luna.

However, he felt something grasp his right hand and looked over half-stride to find Iris semi-jogging and holding his hand. He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Ever since Halloween, Iris had grown exceedingly…_clingy_. It was beginning to become increasingly annoying as of late.

"So Harry, can you tell me why you were with Neville in the first place, or is that also top-secret stuff too?"

His mouth went thin and he decided that the easiest way to get rid of Iris was to satisfy her curiosity. Women and their damnable need to gossip incessantly.

"I was tutoring him." Came his laconic reply.

"Tutoring!" Came an excited voice from his left.

Harry looked over and, to his immense horror, the Granger girl was staring up at him with wonder in her eyes.

'_Seas of Oblivion…they're multiplying!'_

Where, in the name of the Seventeen and Nine, did she appear from? "You're having tutoring sessions? When? Can I join? Oh are you teaching advanced theory for next year?"

Harry cut her off from any ideas or notions before they could fully form. "Absolutely not! I have _far _better things to do then waste my time with brainless first years."

Hermione looked quite affronted at being called brainless and a touch of Legilimency told him that she was tired of being compared to him to him by all the Professors. Apparently being constantly told that her best efforts took second to his, seemingly easily accomplished, honors; was having a terrible blow to her psyche.

"But you're tutoring Neville! He's also a first year!"

"Yeah, but Neville's our god-brother," Iris said cheekily. "Harry's expected to give him preferential treatment."

"But that's nepotism! It isn't fair!"

"Life's not fair," Iris said with a smirk. "Besides, we old families need to stick together like the superior beings that we are."

Ignoring their childish argument, Harry was silently musing just how they were managing to keep up with him. His longs legs gave him a lengthy gait and he wasn't exactly walking at leisure. Their short frames should not be able to keep up with him. Perhaps it was that boundless energy that seemed to be ever present in their tongues making its way into their legs?

"Harry," Iris asked, breaking him from his line of thoughts. "Who's Nicholas Flamel?"

Abruptly, Harry changed direction and led both girls into an empty classroom. As they went in he turned around and cast several locking charms on the door as well as numerous privacy words. The moment his wand came down, he whirled on the two girls.

"Now where would two first years hear a name spoken of in only the most advanced studies of magic?" He asked coldly.

They both faltered and stepped back at the sudden edge in Harry's voice.

"Uhmm, we overheard Hagrid talking about him?" Iris offered poorly.

"Yes," Harry said dryly. "And I suppose he let it slip after you had an encounter with a certain three headed monster?"

They both went red and attempted to explain themselves but, Harry held up a hand and said, "I don't care nor do I care to know what you were doing on the third floor corridor. What I do know is that if I find you anywhere near there again, I'll feed you to the bloody dog myself."

They both went white as sheets but his threat still didn't deter his sister. Damn his father's sense of adventure and damn him for passing it on to Iris. "But Harry, we think that Fluffy is guarding something that has to do with Nicholas Flamel."

Ignoring the fact that the hellion of a Cerberus is called 'Fluffy,' Harry affixed the two girls with a look of pure ice that had them back pedal away from him. "Of course it's guarding something! Why do you think there's a giant carnivorous hell-hound in Hogwarts in the first place!?"

"But-but…Harry I _have _to know! Come on! You can't tell me you're not curious!" Iris pleaded with her large eyes going watery and demanding. It would be be described as utterly cute. Key word here is 'would.'

A Lord of Oblivion does not even utter the word cute. Cute was an anathema to Planes of Oblivion. Iris was not relenting and it was beginning to become irksome. So Harry hit her with a painful stinging hex on her thigh.

"Ouch! Harry you jerk!"

"Listen to me you imperceptive walking headache, I will tell you two what's down there if you agree to never involve yourself with matters in regards to it. Agreed?"

They both acquiesced quickly and nodded eagerly. "Nicholas Flamel is an alchemist. In fact, he's _the _alchemist. Easily one of the most brilliant minds our world has ever seen."

'_Nowhere near as brilliant as me,' _He added silently.

"He created a legendary item known as the Philosopher's Stone. A legendary artefact that can transmute any metal into gold and the key factor in creating the Elixer of Life."

At their questioning look, he added, "A draught that will return your body to its prime and indefinitely keep you alive so long as you regularly drink it. In short, it makes you rich and immortal."

He saw their eyes light up in excitement. "That's amazing!" Hermione cried in excitement. "I wonder how it works."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Harry coolly said, "Only Flamel knows. It's a secret he's guarded ardently for over six centuries."

"Six centuries!?" Iris exclaimed.

"No need to yell," he chided.

"But why hide it at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked with a tilt of her head.

"Dumbledore was apprenticed to Flamel for a number of years. Most likely the Headmaster offered Hogwarts's own impressive set of wards until a more suitable location could be established."

"That's all so cool!" Iris said in childish glee. "Hey Harry do you think Dumbledore will let-"

"No," he said not even bothering to let her finish her sentence. "Now head to bed before I start hexing the two of you."

As he watched the two walk past him, Iris turned around and said, "Hey Harry? Can I talk to you about something?"

He nodded his head and Iris looked at Hermione and said, "Privately."

The muggleborn girl looked rather miffed at not being included and gave a look that suggested that she'd find out later. It reminded him of a Prince that couldn't bear to not know a secret. A Prince that thrived on the forbidden.

When the Granger girl finally left, Harry turned towards Iris and asked, "What is it?"

As usual, whenever she was feeling shy, Iris hid behind a curtain of red hair and shuffled lightly. "Iris," his voice softening just a hint. "I do not have all night."

"Uhmm…lately I've been having these really bad headaches. I even went to the Hospital Wing!" She quickly added at his darkening look. "But nothing she gave me helped."

Harry stood in silent contemplation for a few minutes. "Describe your head aches for me."

"Uh…well…they feel really sharp and they come out of nowhere. My scar really hurts too whenever they start happening."

Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously at her words. He had his suspicions about her scar but nothing concrete. He made a mental note to study it at a late date. Walking over to Iris he grabbed her face in both hands and, ignoring the reddening cheeks, looked her straight in the eye as he dove into her mind.

The very first thoughts were of surprise at what he was doing, mixed with embarrassment and how the shape of his lips really accentuated his features. Brushing them aside, he looked deeper until he dragged up what he was looking for. He got a memory of Defense Against the Dark Arts and the flare of pain in her skull. He analyzed the memory and noted how every time Quirrel turned around, the pain would increase exponentially. It was only by chance he saw but when he did, pure rage whipped about in his magic. Someone was destroying the natural barriers within Iris's mind and making her more susceptible to mental attacks.

It would make her very easily controlled by compulsion charms and potions as well as simple target for the Imperious Curse. Worse of all, she'd never be able to learn Occlumency with the damage. Luckily, he'd be able to reverse the damage as it wasn't too prevalent. But it still brought him to the brink of abysmal fury that someone had dared to harm _his s_ister!

Iris was obviously sensing his dark mood as she worriedly asked, "Harry?" He looked down at her and absorbed her face for a moment. He had few memories of actual joy with his family after he had awoken but, he wasn't foolish enough to deny that Iris meant a lot to him.

Harry took out his wand and said, "Stay here for a few minutes." He then began waving his wand in intricate patterns and began to tie his magic in intricate weaves. He layered spells upon spells until what he was satisfied with the result and finally allowed the magic to coalesce and materialize. A small bracelet made out of his own magic manifest. It was a Shard of Order in the form of jewelry. All along the bracelet, the Daedric alphabet rippled in glowing red runes. He'd like to see anyone break _those _enchantments.

"Take it," he said, gesturing to floating piece of jewelry in the air. Iris blinked but gently grasped it out of its levitation and placed it on her wrist. "It's beautiful," she murmured. The next thing he knew, she had her arms wrapped around his waist. "Thank you, Harry," came her muffled voice.

He gently placed one arm on her back while his other hand came up to caress her neck softly. For a brief moment, he allowed a fond smile to form on his lips but, it quickly disappeared. He lightly pushed her back and said, "It will keep the headaches away and should also offer some protection in case you're in danger."

He didn't add that it also had a tracking charm and an emergency portkey to Potter Manor just in case. He also didn't add that the next time someone tried Legilimency on her, other than him of course, they'd be hit with a rather nasty mental shock. "Now go to bed."

She gave him a brilliant smile and walked away but not before saying, "Thanks Harry, I love you."

He made a motion with his fingers to tell her to hurry along. As she went out the door and turned the corridor, a cold smile fully coiled itself on Harry's lips. He let his magic condense around him as he apparated around the wards and right to the meeting place of the three Princes.

The room itself had been magically expanded to the size of the Great Hall by Harry himself. There were books lining the walls and tables with various runes sketched across their surface. A fountain on the far end of the room was where Daphne was seated. The interesting fact though, was that instead of water, there was a deep roiling darkness lined with clouds of azure flowing through the structure.

Luna was off to the side, underneath a window tending to a patch of roses that grew in potted bushes. The thing about these roses however, was that they were pure black with entire oceans of stars and galaxies swimming across their petals. Both Daedric sisters rose to greet their fellow Prince.

He gave them a smile of pure ice and malice as he said, "Voldemort has made a mistake and revealed himself."

"So he _is_ alive?" Daphne said with a cold smile.

"Then does that mean…" Luna trailed off.

Harry nodded. "We go for the stone."

* * *

**Author's Note: There have been several questions about the relationship between Harry and Iris. All it is, is that Iris has a small crush on the big brother she barely knows. While I can objectively read about incest, I do not have it in me to _write_ it.**

**Next chapter is wrapping up the the first year of Hogwarts based on canon. Now I said that by chapter ten I'd have year two done as well however, that was wrong of me to say so. I forgot to take into account of the summer chapters. A significant portion of the story takes place within Summer because of the freedom from constraints placed onto following the books.**

**Expect to see Harry's grandparents as I've always felt that they were kind of skipped over in many stories. also expect to see the Daedric Princes galvanize across the worlds looking for shards of Oblivion. **

**Oh and the cliffhanger at the end of next chapter...damn even _I _had goosebumps reading it after I wrote it in the draft. **

**Later, CE-NEX**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: A lot of people have given me grief over how Harry treats Lily. Good! I _want _you to feel the ache! Do you have any idea how painful it must be for a mother to have her child standing right in front of her and _not _want anything to do with her? To look at her with nothing short of revulsion? It's a twisting and gnawing sensation for the heart. Lily's pain will be a massive drive in the plot...much later of course.**

**Don't worry about it ending tragedy...that role is reserved for someone else...**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Twists and Turns**

The moon was hauntingly beautiful this night.

Pale waves of unearthly glow washed over Daphne and Harry, like ruffled silk sheets, gently floating to the ground. A profound sense of serenity rippled through the air as the two Princes walked side by side.

Harry, dressed in a simple grey robe that wrapped around him, took small strides with his arms securely crossed behind his back. His emerald eyes were dull and lacked the power of his station. A mark of his somber and tranquil demeanor.

Daphne, in opposition, wore a violet robe of extravagant silk and an identical nightgown underneath. Her expression, one of silent content, was made evident by the light smile that arose on her full lips every few seconds. Under the sky, blanketed with her domain, her exquisite sapphire eyes hummed in muted majesty.

Her hands were hung together in front of her robes and her gait swayed ever so slightly as her shoulder brushed against Harry's occasionally.

"Do you remember when we first met?" She asked, breaking the stillness of the night.

The wind rustled slightly and she looked over to see his hair lift in the cool air, his expression was beautifully stoic. There were times, when Harry was in his most placid frame of mind, his eyes were like droplets of rain against leaves drowning in a river.

'_How can the cruelest of Princes look so human?'_

The Princes had committed thousands of atrocities upon the mortals of Mundus. Molag Bal who had sent armies of his twisted Daedra to enslave all of mortal kind. Mehrunes Dagon who had unleashed cataclysms that had forced the redrawing of maps. Even she, who had seen her agents and servants cause the fall of dynasties and empires.

Yet, there were none more terrible than the Daedric Prince Jyggalag. To shape and order all of creation was his nature…and he carried out his task with savage brutality. Stripping the essence of life itself, he created empty husks that only knew to carry out directives with merciless zeal.

No sense of self was left. Jyggalag robbed every source of individualism a being could possess until they were left a mindless drone. A merciless machine that existed solely on cold logic and calculation. It was enough to drive anyone mad.

But it didn't.

He wouldn't allow it. He kept his world of Perfect Order and it spread across the Seas of Oblivion as he drove relentlessly for the expansion of his cruel domain.

And he came _so _close succeeding.

While the mortals warred with one another and the Aedra dealt with their own black sheep, it was left to them to contain Order's wrath.

So they cursed him.

Cursed him with madness and forced upon him the name of Sheogorath. Prince of Madness, and the Master of Dementia and Mania. Turning him into the one thing he hated more than anything else.

In his curse, was their greatest, and perhaps only, mercy to the rest of the creation. For even in madness, there was value to existence.

She was broken out of her thoughts as Harry gave a slight hum and said, "You arose out of the Void and proclaimed yourself Supreme Master and ordered me to kneel to you."

She smiled as she heard the faintest traces of humor in his voice. "I believe your response was, 'Make me,'" She said fondly.

That was her very first memory. Coming into existence as a Daedric Prince and marveling at the power she felt coursing through her being and the sudden awareness of all of creation itself. She saw him and beheld him an insect. She though herself a god and felt that it was her rightful station to reign absolute over all.

When he _had_ defied her however, well, he might as well have slapped her in the face. It felt so incredibly wrong to her. That someone would _dare _deny her what she so rightly knew was hers to demand. So she took his words to heart and attempted to force him to his knees.

The resulting end was what would be, unknown to the world thankfully, the origin of the term, 'A Royal Spanking.'

They reassumed their walk in silence and she stole glances at him when she thought he wouldn't notice. And, not for the first time, Daphne berated herself for acting so childishly in regards to her attraction to the Prince of Order. She had successfully taken advantage of his weakness and managed to seduce him yet, there seemed to be no prevalent progress on his part. He was as resolute as ever.

Her female pride had been wounded by his iron walls. Not that she had expected anything else from him. She knew better than anyone just how much hatred ran in Harry's veins. Trapped for thousands of years in an endless cycle of insanity, when he finally managed to break free, the world was torn asunder and he awoke to find himself a shell of his former being; trapped in a mortal frame.

It would take an inordinate amount of effort on her part for him to fully accept his mortal soul and all the bearings that came with it. Nonetheless, it was like what her mother always said to her and Astoria: the best kind of men, are those that you've personally trained.

And train him she would. There was no way in Oblivion, she would allow him to return to the monster that was Jyggalag. There were fifteen other Princes along with Nine Divines to contain him in their old world. If he ever managed to return to his old self…the thought made Daphne shudder.

While she didn't care if _Harry _created a world of perfect order, she'd be damned if she allowed _Jyggalag _the opportunity. Harry was different, _much _different, them his past self. He was more patient, more sympathetic and, despite his ardent claims, he possesses a heart. However black and shriveled it may be.

'_I will _not _lose Harry to himself,' _she vowed.

She stopped walking and called out to him, "Jy-Harry?"

He turned slowly, a look of interest on his face. She knew that he was very amused by the fact that she addressed him by his first name these days. "Are…are you happy, Harry?" She asked, not meeting his gaze. Depending on his answer, she would have to significantly change her approach in regards to him. She didn't want to hurt him.

She didn't want to have to kill him.

Yet, this world could not survive a Greymarch and if she was to protect her sister, both of them actually, Harry would have to die. The difficult thing for her however, was that she knew that it would be nearly impossible to do so.

After ten years of relentlessly pursuing his throne, he was left with a desperate longing for his old self. And she wasn't sure, that she could fit into his heart consumed with hatred and lust for power.

"Yes, I am," he finally said after a moment of silence. She looked up in relief as hope sprung within her. But then, he turned towards the moon longingly. "But I am not content, Nocturnal."

It was strange, she decided, how much her human half ached at not having her name being called. Harry had inhuman control over his psyche and a will that was entirely unshakable. Luna too, was so perfectly synchronized with her Daedric self that it felt like she was still Azura in full when they spoke. It was only her, which seemed to be struggling with merging fully with her past.

He turned his back to her completely, head tilted up at the celestial body so prevalent in the dark sky. "We were more…so _much _more…"

She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his chest and pressed herself against his back. Warmth seeped into her as his magic wrapped around her in a comforting embrace. His metallic scent causing her mouth to go dry and fill her with need.

"What would happen to Daphne, if Nocturnal came into full?" _'What would happen to Harry?'_

He kept silent for several minutes but, Daphne waited patiently. She closed her eyes and listened intently to the strong thrum of his heart, beating and pulsing. Her hands flattened across his chest as she tried to press his back onto her front.

His magic stiffened around her as he spoke. "She would be consumed…the mortal crumbling before the might of a Lord of Oblivion."

She shut her eyes more forcefully and tightened her hold onto him. "And the stone? Can it truly resurrect a Daedric Prince?"

Her eyes opened in surprise as she felt his chest reverberate and slightly shake. It took her a few seconds to realize that his chest was rumbling in subdued laughter.

"No mortal contraption could ever match the required potency to bring a Prince in entirety." He said in quiet amusement.

"I see," she said as they once again fell back into dark stillness. Daphne heard the hoot of an owl as she softly snuggled deeper into Harry's warmth.

Her own magic awoke in the throes of the night, her dominion and home. She willed it around her heart and subdued the beating organ. Carefully, she directed the electricity within herself to match the dull throb in Harry's veins. It was a trivial act yet, there was a sense of comfort and triumph to feel her heart in sync with his.

Together they stood until what seemed the end of time for her. As she seemingly fell asleep against him, she was filled with dreams of the skies of Oblivion. Infinite expanses of stars swimming in illuminating clusters and spilling forth a multitude of lights.

His magic melded with hers, creating a shower of silver and blue lights that reflected her dreams vividly and filled her with a terrible longing. It was dark…intoxicating…the way his power seeped into her. There was no denying the pure seductive quality of his magic. The rich texture of the dense pressure that filled her elicited a soft, nearly inaudible, moan from her.

"Harry…_can_ we be more?" She asked, her voice rasped and strong.

Heat flooded her palms that were beginning to claw into his chest. His magic tightened, constricted into currents of darkness laced with velvety iron. She could feel the breath escape from his lungs and out his lips. "You doubt our chances of ascension?" He intoned.

She turned her head so that her delicate nose was flatly pressed against him. She inhaled his scent deeply and hummed throatily as metal tasted off her tongue.

"Not that," she whispered strongly. "Why can't we be _more _than Princes? Why can't we surpass our previous selves?"

There was a hollow silence just before he erupted into soft laughter. Daphne nearly jumped in shock. The action was so unlike him. But she welcomed it nonetheless. It was a beautiful sound to her. His deep tenor complete with dark resonance echoed across the grounds.

"Why not?" He mused. "Perhaps…perhaps…"

He gently pried her hands away from his chest and turned around. His jade orbs, throbbing with desire and shadowed mirth. It was a surreal moment for her. She, the Daedra Lord that represented the enigmatic obscurities of the world, the night that hid her children; to be so _utterly lost_ in him.

"Come my beloved Nocturnal," he said with a taint of husk in his voice. "Let us find dear Azura and be done with this stone business."

As Harry swept past her, Daphne took a chance and slipped her fingers between his. There wasn't even a moment's hesitation as he gently grasped her fingers and gave a light squeeze. A smile split Daphne's face as the two made their way towards glittering Hogwarts rippled as their footsteps disturbed the lake water underneath.

* * *

"Did you have a nice walk," asked the bubbly blonde to the two older students making their way, hand in hand, to the third floor corridor.

"Quite," Harry nodded in greeting. "And you?"

"Mars is bright tonight," Luna said cryptically.

Both he and Daphne stopped and looked strangely at the enigmatic Prince. Azura, for all her brilliance, was easily the oddest of all the Seventeen Masters of Oblivion. Ironically, she was also the easiest to get along with despite her eccentricities.

Harry frowned monetarily before saying, "You've been with the centaurs again, haven't you?"

Luna shrugged and said, "I wish we had them back in the day. Instead all we had were Hircine's useless pets."

Daphne rolled her eyes besides him and he was tempted to do the same. Luna's kinship with the herd in the Forbidden Forest was…odd to say the least. Normally distrustful of humans, if not outright hostile, the Centaurs seemed to have taken rather well to Luna. It seemed that their shared interest in having their heads in the cloud was all that was needed to gain their approval.

"Did you know," Luna said airily. "That someone raised half of their dead the other year. They are quite upset about the whole affair and have clambering for the head of this nefarious necromancer."

Harry's mouth twisted into a sour curve. "How…interesting."

He stopped before the door that he knew lead to the gigantic furball of bad breath. However, before opening it, he checked the door to make sure that there were no wards placed on it. He doubted there would be any to prevent entry, simply there to alert the Headmaster at any attempts of intrusion.

And wards there were.

He quickly swept his magic and dismantled them piece by piece. Then, he checked the threshold to make sure Dumbledore didn't place any additional ones across the door frame. The old man was known to be subtle when he wasn't dealing with school children. Finding nothing, Harry twisted the knob and entered, followed by Daphne and Luna.

Immediately the three of them were hit with the sound of deep growls that shook the wooden floor. The creature was larger than he remembered. All three heads salivated as it readied itself to pounce on them and tear them asunder.

Not that they would give it the chance.

Together, the three Princes unleashed their aura of Daedric power. Dark, malignant power rose in unlimited tides of magic. Laced with the fury of the Lords of Oblivion, the air dripped with pure murder and malice. Every survival instinct within the overgrown mutt flared off as it lowered its head in submission and whimpered pathetically.

It scurried off to the end corner and ducked its head behind its paws. The three of them moved towards the trap door at the center of the wooden floor. Before one of the girls could open it, Harry said, "Wait."

He set his eyes with magic and smiled at what he observed. "The old codger placed additional intruder wards on the trapdoor. Harry tore them at part at once and, with a gesture of his fingers, flung the wooden panel open.

"Hey, Harr-" Daphne didn't get any farther as Harry instantly cut her off.

"No you may _not _keep the bloody mongrel!"

Daphne turned to him with her eyes wide and beginning to water. She tried to do her best impression of an innocent little girl wanting a puppy but there a few things wrong with her act. For starters, he'd witnessed her kill in cold blood ergo, the innocence was nowhere to be found. Another thing, persuasion is a very difficult thing to do when your target can read your mind.

After a full minute was wasted, she huffed and crossed her arms. "You're so childish," he muttered while holding out his left hand and producing a floating orb of light. He sent the conjured lantern down the chute and saw a swarm of roots and writhing green mass.

"Devil's Snare," he softly intoned.

Luna clapped giddily and pointed her wand at the over grown plant. There was a flash of bright red and both Harry and Daphne were forced to cover their eyes. When, Harry looked back, his light was still floating in the vertical fall. Except, now, it was hovering over thick vines covered in roses and wicked looking thorns. Both third years stared at Luna with disbelief clearly written across their face.

Luna however, was rather oblivious to their ire and began to talk to her 'children' cheerfully. So it was with a certain vindictive pleasure, which Harry smiled with as Luna screamed on her way down after being pushed. Daphne glared at him but, they both knew that she wouldn't be hurt. Roses would always fall under the command and sphere of Azura.

Not being included under her blessing, Harry grabbed Daphne around the waist and held out his wand over their heads. Daphne wrapped her arms securely around his neck as he whispered, "**Ysbryd**." They both turned ghostly transparent and Harry leapt off the edge with Daphne in his arms. They passed right through the roses and thorns, Harry canceled the spell and their feet hit the floor in a solid thud.

"What spell was that?" Daphne asked, curiosity shimmering in her eyes.

"One of my own creation," he responded. "It harnesses the energies from the Astral Plane to transform the body into spirit particles thus, allowing the caster bypass nearly every ward and physical obstacle known to man."

Daphne opened her mouth and looked as if she was going to ask something but decisively shut her mouth. Instead, she opted for, or rather demanded, "Teach me."

"Over the summer," he promised.

The spell was immensely complex and could go wrong in a thousand different ways. Ranging from being permanently trapped as a specter to being spirited away to an entirely different dimension.

Initially, **Ysbryd**, was a multifaceted ritual designed by Celtic Druids in the mid second century to bypass the barriers created by Hadrian's Wall. Harry condensed the magic into a single spell with the notes he found in one of his ancestor's journals.

Incidentally, it was the Potter family who was conscripted by the Emperor to build the wards lining the Vallum of the Wall. A few Potters stayed within Britain to maintain the defenses but the majority of the family returned to the continent on the completion of the construction.

Luna descended from the massive rose bush by a single vine that wrapped around her waist. As it uncoiled from around her, she kissed the thing and then moved to kick Harry. However, a single glare from him was enough to dissuade any attempt on her part.

"Did you make sure to slip Quirrel the potion?" Daphne asked him.

He nodded. "It was remarkably easy to spike his pumpkin juice. You would think being possessed by Voldemort would give him some impression of intelligence."

The three of them had decided to be rid of Voldemort while obtaining the stone simultaneously. A simple compulsion potion from Harry would make sure that Quirrel would go after the stone just an hour behind them. And some interference from Daphne would see that Dumbledore would not intervene in their plan.

"Apparently not," Daphne remarked dryly.

Together, the three made their way until they could hear the flapping of several wings around the bend of the corridor. They walked into room chock-full of flying…keys. "My faith in the Hogwarts staff is falling by the minute," Harry said wryly.

Luna brought out her wand and, with a lazy flick, murmured, "**Immobulus**."

All the keys froze in mid-air and Daphne and Luna proceeded to track down the right one that fit the door on the opposite side of the room. "Oh please," Harry muttered as he rolled his eyes and walked toward the door. He sent his magic forward, dispelled the charms and walked right on through. Daphne and Luna glanced each other and, without another word, followed in suit.

They came upon a giant chessboard next.

As the three walked past the black pieces and toward the whites, the pawns drew their swords and locked them against one another. "I think they want play," Luna said as she looked about absently.

"This is right up your alley, Jyggalag." Daphne said, reverting to his Princely name in regards to his expertise.

There was no denying his genius in chess. Hell, there was no denying his genius _period. _It would be an easily accomplished task, akin to child's play. However, he wasn't in the mood for it nor did they have the time. Quirrel would be at hand shortly as they had disabled the tasks behind them and it was best they obtained the stone before he arrived.

Harry pulled out his wand, pointed it towards the opposing king and blasted the carved slab of marble into a pile of rubble. "Checkmate."

He could hear Daphne and Luna sigh in exasperation from behind him. Like he bloody cared.

They were in a hurry and logic dictated that he expedite their pace forward. Ergo, exterminate all opposition.

He leaned forward and pointed his wand towards the pawn directly ahead of him. "Problem?"

There was a second's worth of tension before the pawn moved out of the way. In fact, all the pieces moved out of the way.

"Only you could successfully intimidate a rock, Jyggalag," Daphne sighed. He ignored her and moved forward. As they went into the next room, Harry turned and flicked his wand. The White King reformed. He then flicked it twice more. A Black Rook and Black Knight immediately turned to fine dust.

'_There…let's see how long Voldemort takes to get through with a few handicaps against him.'_

As Harry turned to leave, he failed to notice several of the adjacent chess pieces nervously shuffle away from the recently formed mounds of sand.

By the time he arrived in the next room, he found two trolls staring groggily at the ceiling and swaying on their feet. Not even bothering to take a second look, he continued forward to find Luna and Daphne standing in front of a table with various bottled potions.

There was note a parchment in Luna's hand that both she and Daphne were straining their eyes against. In a huff, she rudely thrust the parchment in his direction. He took the paper with a hint of amusement and read it.

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead,

Another will transport the drinker back instead,

Two among our number hold only nettle-wine,

Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line

Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the poison tries to hide

You will always find some on nettle wine's left side

Second, different are those who stand at either end

But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

Third as you see clearly, all are different size

Neither dwarf nor giant hold death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

Severus Snape could rhyme? Who knew?

He could see how this would frustrate many wizards as, sadly, his domain was a rare commodity in their world. He then turned his attention to the black fire ahead of them. Using his magic, he analyzed the spell work that layered itself over the flames. In moments he understood their mechanics.

"A modified floo network that responds to a certain magical resonance created by the necessary potion," he said thoughtfully. Say what you will about the man, the Potions Master was a gifted wizard, even by his standards.

"Forget the fire, which is the needed potion?" Daphne urged impatiently.

He picked up the bottle second from the right and swirled its contents in the flask while he peered at it carefully. "There isn't enough for all three of us," he said.

"Wonderful," Daphne said sarcastically.

"So who's staying behind?" Luna asked.

"No one," Harry said. He then began to undo all the layers of magic over the fireplace. It took him a few minutes but, he successfully rid them of the enchantments. The flame turned a vibrant green and Harry said, "Simply walk through." Daphne went first, then Luna and Harry was about to follow when a sudden devilish smirk came across his features.

He pointed his wand to the fire and began to reapply all the previous spells that Professor Snape had applied. It went much faster as it was easier to cast spells than to disengage them. The moment the fire returned to a black color, Harry downed the contents of the flask and then proceeded to toss it carelessly over his shoulder.

When he reappeared on the other side of the fire, he discovered Daphne and Luna gazing into a large baroque mirror. Typical women…he leaves them alone for two minutes and they completely digress from their intended purpose.

However, as he neared the pair of Daedric girls, he sensed a strange magic emanating from the mirror. In fact, it felt strongly of _dark _magic. There was strong compulsion charm on it as well as a runic array that would gradually drain the life force of those lost in enthrallment. Luckily, both girls seemed to realize this and had put up a protective layer of magic around them.

As Harry came behind them, he was surprised by what he saw. It wasn't his reflection he was staring at…well…not the usual one. He glanced at the top of the mirror and read the words. _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. _

"I show not your face but your heart's desire," Harry read. "Huh."

For one reason or another…the mirror felt incredibly_ familiar_ to him. Daphne looked over to him and asked, "What do you see?"

He raised an eyebrow at her and answered truthfully. "Myself." He smiled coldly at Daphne, letting her know that she was free to interpret it as she pleased. "You?"

"My desires of course." She said cheekily before suddenly getting a calculating look on her face. "What kept you?"

"Mischief," he said plainly.

Swiftly, a frown overcame Harry's features. Damn his father to Oblivion! He'd been infected by his stupidity…actually…damn _himself _to Oblivion. Seventeen know that he would be much more content there.

"What do you see Luna?" Daphne asked.

"Myself, swaying to the symphony during the countdown to extinction." The girl said while swinging her shoulders back and forth.

"_What_?" the other two Princes asked in utter confusion.

"Don't worry," she smiled at them. "It won't happen until July."

Harry did the rational thing and threw everything she said out the proverbial window. The day he would start to pay attention to Azura's ramblings is the day he began to write passionate poetry. That is to say, never.

"So where's the stone," Daphne finally said.

Luna shrugged her shoulders but, Harry ignored her completely. The familiarity of the mirror was beginning to eat away at him. He _knew _the magic surrounded the mirror but, he just couldn't place its origin. There was something compellingly familiar to him about it.

He could hear Daphne and Luna in the background but deftly blocked them out. His mind began to fully awake to solve this rather frustration mystery. Normally, Harry's mind was never being used to its full capacity. There was no need for his massive intellect to be used for the average daily trifles of his Hogwarts days. It was only when he was plotting or found a new source of relevant information where he used his entire aptitude.

'_I show not your face but your heart's desire.'_

"_Desire_," Harry breathed in abrupt epiphany.

Daphne looked confused and Luna looked up at him expectantly.

"I should have known," Harry's tone changed to sour. "_Clavicus Vile_."

Both of them looked at him momentarily before their mouths fell open into a silent 'Oh.' It was so obvious now that Harry thought about. Something that puts what you want right in front of you but forever out of reach. Enchanting you to waste your life and wither away.

"Of course," Daphne sighed. "It's exactly something he would come up with."

It was_ precisely_ what the Daedric Prince of Power, Trickery, Wishes, and Bargains would find entertaining.

"So Clavicus is out there somewhere?" Luna asked.

"Perhaps…" Harry said quietly. "Though…I'm beginning to wonder…"

"That's just what we need," Daphne sighed. "Clavicus on another power trip."

There was something about the mirror that had Harry on edge. Clavicus Vile was rather well known amongst the mortals for all the artifacts he created and let loose into their hands. His mask, the Umbra Sword and the Rueful Axe. These things of Daedric power always left behind a trail of blood and tragedy to entertain dear old Clavicus.

"I wonder if we'll meet Barbas as well!" Luna exclaimed while clapping her hands in excitement.

Harry gave her a dry look. For one reason or another, Luna absolutely adored Clavicus's mutt of a companion. "This mirror has a hidden purpose," Harry said more to himself than to his two companions.

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked.

Harry narrowed his eyes and walked closer to the mirror. Tracing the brass frame with a finger he said, "There's a runic array…no…something else actually…"

"Jyggalag make sense," Daphne said exasperatedly.

Harry turned to give her an annoyed look before returning his attention to the mirror. Several minutes passed by and Harry was still silently observing the brass work. "It's a fractal," he finally said.

"A what?" Luna asked, her nose scrunching up in confusion.

"A self-replicating set of mathematics that are identical at every scale driven by recursion on the dynamics of chaos." He said mechanically.

"_What_?" The two female Princes said completely lost.

"A big storage device." He said rolling his eyes.

"Oh…well why didn't you say so in the first place?" Luna asked angrily.

"Bloody Neanderthals," Harry muttered.

"What does it store?" Daphne questioned.

"Life," He said simply.

There was a minute of silence before Daphne asked, "Why?"

"That, I haven't figured out yet. But I will as soon as I have the time to study this thing."

"Whatever it is," Luna began. "I doubt that Clavicus intended it to be used as a storage for pretty rocks."

Harry looked over to find Luna was holding a glittering blood-red gem the size of a small paper weight in the palm of her hand. "Where in Oblivion did you find that!?" he asked, astounded.

"My reflection gave it to me," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Is it the real thing?" Daphne said eagerly. Harry rolled his eyes as he could plainly see the greed written all over face. "Let me see that Azura."

She passed him the stone and Harry held it up in the air to get a good look at it. Not noticing anything unusual, he let his magic wash over it. There was a great deal of magic sealed within the stone he noted.

"So," Daphne said impatiently. "Are we going to be rich now?"

Harry gave her a blank look that clearly said that he wasn't impressed with her single minded greed. "You're already rich." He said wryly.

She smacked his arm and said, "Just tell me already!"

Harry was sorely tempted to hex her but decided against it. He didn't need the headache of Daphne being upset at him for the next week. "There's a large amount magic tied within the stone."

Daphne gave a girlish squeal and snatched the stone out of his hands. Her eyes were literally sparkling with desire and it didn't take a master legilimens to tell she was planning a colossal shopping spree.

"Incidentally," Harry said. "It's entirely worthless."

The velocity at which Daphne's face fell was incredibly comical. Harry found himself holding back a fit of laughs. Luna, however, was not so inclined to reserve her sense of humor. She dissolved into hysterics.

"But-but you said…" She weakly protested while looking back and forth from Harry and the red crystal that was cradled against her chest.

"It does have a great deal of magic," Harry agreed. "However, the magic is holding that stone together. It's alchemical creation. Something that was transmuted to look like the Philosopher's Stone."

"Worthless…?" She intoned feebly.

'I am afraid so," Harry said grimly although, the corners of his mouth were twitching.

Luna walked over and gave an affectionate hug to Daphne and began to rub her back soothingly. Harry shook his head as Daphne dissolved into grief. There's a reason she was called the Mother of Thieves.

Harry gently pried the false stone from Daphne's hand and turned back to the mirror. It would prove to be a great study at a later date so he tapped it with his wand and shrunk the entire thing to the size of small note pad and proceeded to pocket it.

He then conjured a large comfortable looking sofa and sat down and pulled a notebook from his robes. Content to wait for Quirrel to show up, hopefully with Voldemort in tow. Getting rid of the two of them would prove to be a great success. He'd remove a threat to Iris and, more importantly, he'd no longer have to deal with Quirrel's sham of a class. The stuttering tempted him into a homicidal rage quite frequently.

Eventually, both girl's joined him on the sofa. Daphne snuggled into him as he used his wand to draw several calculated sets of number for spells he was in the process of creating. His personal notes were filled with untested possibilities that he usually ended up experimenting on various test subjects. All ranging from Hogwarts students and staff to humans he abducted and killed off at a later time once their usefulness was at an end.

After nearly fifteen minutes had passed, Luna suddenly stood up and merrily said, "Showtime!" Trusting in her abilities to see the shifting possibilities of reality, Harry stood up. Or at least he attempted too. Daphne was still pouting into his shoulder. "Up you incessant pain." He commanded.

She huffed as she stood and prodded him rather painfully in the ribs. Someday he would find a way to permanently eliminate Nocturnal's childishness. While he understood her desire to be intimate with him, which he didn't encourage at all by the way, he could bloody well do without all of the touching and prodding. She was as bad as Iris at times.

The flames at the entrance to the chamber roared to life as a figure stepped through them. Face stern and looking more than a little upset, Quirrel marched forward. His face turned dumbfounded when he spotted the Princes standing side-by-side, apparently waiting for him. However, he quickly schooled his features and reverted to his pathetic façade.

"S-Students! Wh-what are y-y-you doing here?" He asked.

"Not very intelligent is he," Daphne said in a stage whisper causing Quirrel's brow to twitch.

"Why we're here for the stone Professor!" Luna said cheerfully from Harry's left.

"St-st-stone? What st-stone?" Quirrel stuttered, keeping up his performance.

Sad as it was, Harry was finding this whole ordeal to be rather cumbersome and quite frankly, he wanted to go to bed. "This one you daft imbecile," Harry drawled while holding up the red crystalline rock.

The effect was instantaneous. Quirrel's features twisted into a fierce snarl as he said, "Give that to me Potter!" Harry smiled coldly and began to spin the stone in his fingers.

"Accio!" The Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor cried.

Harry felt the threads of Quirrel's magic tugging on the stone but his own magic brushed away the futile effort. "How weak," Harry's smile curved into ice.

The Professor's face contorted with rage before he took a calming breath. Then, in a voice shaking with anger he said, "Give me the stone Potter and I'll make sure you and your little girlfriends die a quick and relatively painless death."

"He's trying to be funny," Luna said while stifling a laugh behind her hand.

"And failing miserably," Daphne said mockingly as she leaned an arm over Harry's shoulder. "How embarrassing."

The shade of purple that Quirrel turned reminded him of his muggle uncle that his mother once took him to visit when he was only about four years old. The Defense Professor raised his wands and a curse was on his lips before the entire chamber exploded with magic.

The might and fury of three Daedric Princes was unleashed at once and came crashing down. The air stiffed and grew unbearably thick. The castle walls seemed to groan as magic, black and volcanic in its wrath, flooded out. Quirrel was physically pushed back onto the floor by the sheer weight of magic thrown at him.

They kept it up for several minutes. Every time Quirrel would try and stand, their magic would subdue him and pin him to the stone surface of the ground. Eventually they let up and allowed the stuttering fool to regain his vertical stance.

As he panted and wheezed in air, he looked at all three with fear and dread in his eyes. Three students, not even with their O.W.L's and they managed to defeat with nothing but their raw magic. Suddenly a voice hissed out. "Let me speak with them." If possible, Quirrel looked even more afraid.

"Master…you're not strong enough!"

"Silence! I have strength enough for this."

Slowly Quirrel unbound the turban on his head and turned around to give them a clear view of the back of his head. A view, which had all three of them forming some degree of disgust on their faces. A gaunt and mutilated face stuck out of the back of Quirrel's head. "Ugly thing aren't you?" Daphne said with her nose crinkled and lips curled.

The face chose to ignore Daphne and stared right at him, instead. "Do you recognize me Harry Potter? How long has it been since that day?"

Harry looked as impassive as stone itself as he said, "Ten years, one month, two weeks, four days and twenty three minutes."

"Yes," Voldemort said in amusement. "I have seen your genius boy. They say that you are the most gifted to walk the halls of Hogwarts. Even more gifted…than me."

"Look at me Harry," Voldemort commanded. "See what your younger sister made me. A mere shade, less than the most merger of specters. Give me the stone. Restore me my power and I will give you power in turn."

Pale lips warped in a wolfish manner as Harry's eye's lost all color and turned a staunch grey. "You were never the generous type, if I remember correctly."

"I can assure you," Voldemort hissed, his own torn lips forming a smile. "I am very generous to those who are loyal to me."

"Since when did you care for loyalty?" Harry asked amusedly. "All you ever had were slaves regardless of their orientation in factor to you."

Voldemort looked on in slight confusion, as did both Daphne and Luna. None of the three seemed to have any inclination as to what Harry was referring to. Suddenly, a cruel and malicious glint entered Harry's eyes. "You don't remember, do you?" He whispered.

"Harry? What's going on?" Daphne whispered into his ear.

Harry didn't answer. Instead he let loose a dark chuckle derived of any mirth or happiness. It was cold and remote as the frozen artic. The sound was of metal scraping against itself and dark intentions being painfully drawn out of a soul.

"Enough!" Voldemort shrieked. "Give me the stone and I will spare all your lives! I will even leave your sister alive Potter! Hecate knows that she thinks of you often enough!"

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously, though the laughter did not die from them. "Consider yourself lucky. Had you regained your memories I would have you bound and sealed away but, as it stands you are no worth to me as you are right now. Instead, I will be merciful and allow you to flee."

"Quirrel! Kill them and take the stone!"

Before the possessed Professor could even fully turn around, lighting, white and hot, arced through the air and slammed into him. There wasn't even a moment of screaming as within seconds there was nothing left but a charred corpse.

The three of them watched as Voldemort's shade screamed its way out of the scorched body and fled the chamber. There was a second of tense silence before the female Princes whirled on him with eyes blazing. "Explain," Daphne said dangerously.

Hardly threatened, Harry opted to open a mental link with the three of them as a substitute for words. He sent them his impressions of Voldemort's magic and his conclusion. As Harry swept out of the room, he left a shaken Luna and Daphne behind.

* * *

As Harry laid in his dorm, he deliberated over the events of the night. He had made two very startling discoveries. The Mirror of Erised was a Daedric creation of Clavicus Vile. He had his suspicions as to what it truly was and, if they proved to be true, he would be two fold powerful by the end of this school year.

Then there was meeting with Voldemort. It had proven to be incredibly enlightening. Enlightening and tremendously helpful in regards to his future plans. To think that Voldemort was _him _all along. In fact, when he actually though about it, it made perfect sense. Although, what didn't make sense was why he hadn't awoken his memories. Halloween of nineteen eighty-one returned him to Jyggalag, so why did it not work for Voldemort as he was the chief instigator of that event?

Harry's mind shifted so it could handle several thoughts at once. He was pondering over Voldemort as well as his future plans, what he was going once the summer began and the tension building between him and Daphne.

Entirely consumed within the confines of his mind processing everything, Harry did not even realize he began to absently play with the false Philosopher's Stone. It was only several minutes later that, behind the drapes of his bed, did he recognize what was in his hand.

He once again looked at it carefully as the moonlight filtered in from the window behind the head board of his bed. The blood-red crystal glinted in a brilliant fashion in the light. That was when Harry caught sight of something he didn't see down in the dark and poorly illuminated chamber of the mirror.

Within the stone, there were several folds of crystal that, if viewed at the right angle, shaped several runes. Harry would have never noticed the, before. Now entirely engrossed in the stone, Harry shut off all other thoughts within his mind and sat up. He spun the stone slowly in his hands, viewing and observing the symbols and patterns.

Curious as to what they did in regards to the magically enriched stone, Harry reached out with his own magic to actively analyze them. However, the moment his magic did dive into the stone, the stone glowed a harsh red light and it was too all to for Harry to realize his mistake. He felt the unmistakable pull of a portkey as he identified a jerk behind his navel.

He was consumed by a flash of red and the next thing he knew he was hitting a hard flat surface.

Harry groaned as his back ached at impacting the unforgiving stone. As he moved to stand up. He saw that the room was entirely dark and he couldn't see a thing. He immediately reached out with his magic to detect any threats but, that also proved to be a mistake.

The darkness was illuminated by a series of lights from underneath his feet. The light ran in twisting lines and wove itself across the floor, onto the walls and then the ceiling. The entire room was covered with, what Harry wide-eyed recognized to be, an immense array of runes. Intricate and interwoven, there were layers upon layers of delicate designs and paradigms of runes. Many of which Harry could not even recognize.

Harry looked about widely as all of the patterns came to life with magic.

The next thing he knew, he was forced to the floor as his magic was completely sealed off and he, physically paralyzed under a massive weight. He tried to struggle but it was futile. There was nothing he could do.

"Well, look what the Khajit dragged in." The sudden voice, and the naming of one of Tamreil's races, put Harry on high alert.

It took every ounce of effort on his part to even slightly crane his neck in the direction of the voice. Harry saw the speaker was a smiling young man, barely into his twenties. He had long blonde hair tied in a loose pony tail and hung carelessly over his shoulders. His eyes sparkled with sky blue mischief yet, they seem to hold some timeless quality to them.

It was then the man's magic washed over Harry and face froze in recognition.

"You!" Harry growled as pure rage roared to life within him.

"It's been quite a few centuries since we last spoke, eh old boy?" the smiling man said.

His magic was struggling to break free as whipped itself into a dark frenzy. Malice and hatred rose like great leviathans as Harry dug his nails in so tightly that blood began to pool around his hands. Harry's eyes melted into a soulless silver and grey. He wanted nothing more than to tear into the smiling blonde man, even if it was only with his teeth.

"AKATOSH!"

* * *

**Author's Note: So many questions you probably have; and not one will be answered until my next chapter. The chapter that probably will take a while to upload as I've a few things to get done. Very _important _things you know...nothing along the lines of replaying that old Spyro the Dragon game I found in my closet.  
**

**Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Stick around, cuz i'll be back soon enough.**

**CE-NEX**

**Akatosh: Chief of the Nine Divines, Lord of all Aedra, Father of Dragons and the Dragon Lord of Time. Akatosh ****represents the qualities of endurance, invincibility, and everlasting legitimacy and is worshiped as the primary deity by nearly every race in the Elder Scroll series. Akatosh is in someway, involved with nearly every main plot of the games. From defeating Mehrunes Dagon at the end of Oblivion to having spurred the events of Skyrim by making the main character the Last Dragonborn and releasing Alduin the World-Eater from the time stream he was trapped in.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Yo! Sorry its been a while but I was taking my Mid-Terms.**

**Anyways, I put this chapter up as a short one because there was a lot of 'plot filler' in this ridiculously long scene. I didn't want to overload you guys as there are things that need to be digested. That, and the next few scenes have less 'Jyggalag' and more 'Harry'. So I didn't want the sudden switch in mood to offset your reading. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter 8: The Time Lord and his Lady Companion**

Soulless silvers glared into sparkling sky blues.

When it became apparent that Akatosh was not going to kill him, Harry found it much easier to reign in his wild magic and calm himself. Subsequently he could think clearly and rationally again. Although, even if he was no longer outward angry, he was seething inwardly at the indignity of being tied to a chair and having his magic bound.

"Now my dear Jyggalag, let us talk as civilized individuals…not that you have much of a choice," Akatosh said looking bemused.

Harry's face had a look of great distaste plastered on his face but, he wasn't foolish enough to give up an opportunity to gleam vital information. "Nicholas Flamel, I presume then?"

Akatosh beamed at him. "Oh, but you always were such a clever one, weren't you Jyggalag? Shame you never had much of an imagination."

And there it was.

Akatosh's incessant need to speak to everyone as if they were some ignorant child. Granted he was time incarnate; that did not excuse his need to look down on the rest of creation. As the Prince of Order that was _his _job. Harry hardly appreciated his chief rival's need to intrude in his sphere of influence.

Harry smiled coldly at the ancient alchemist. "Why don't you let me out of these bindings so I can show you how creative I can be?"

"Oh, but you have come into a sense of humor." Flamel said patronizingly. Then, while wiping a fake tear away, he said, "You make me so proud my beloved twin brother."

The smile on Harry's face immediately melted off and was swiftly replaced by a scowl. "I am _not _having this argument with you again Akatosh! We are _not _twins!"

"_Au contraire, mon frère!_" Flamel exclaimed in French before switching back to English._ "_Did not Time and Order arise together from the pandemonium of the primordial conflict? Are we both not formed from the chaotic energies of Padomay and Anu? Is not the definition of twins those born at the same time from the same two parents?"

Time and Order. The driving forces that led to the creation of the rest of…well…everything. Beforehand there was only the Void of Padomay and the Static Power of Anu. Jyggalag had had theories that there was an even greater force beyond the two but, that's neither here nor there. The original Aedra and the original Daedra. That's who Akatosh and Jyggalag truly were. The very first into that world, in that universe.

But! That did not mean he was related to the Supreme Idiot!

"Absolutely not, you prattling twit!" Harry yelled indignantly. "You may be content with claiming those pathetic existences as your progenitors but, I will _never _associate myself with those senile, lethargic and entirely useless wastes of actualities!"

"Come, come Jyggi, no need to get angry."

"_Don't _call me _that!" _Harry spat.

Just like Jyggalag, Akatosh could see all the winding paths of the past, the present and the future. Yet, where Jyggalag calculated the twines of possibility with his mind, Akatosh could peer into the streams of his domain and manipulate them to his liking. And Jyggalag always took into account of Akatosh's influence of the cords of Fate and Destiny. In this regard, they were very similar.

Who could best manipulate the fabrics of reality and still predicate the most accurate outcome? Akatosh who held the will of Time itself? Or Jyggalag, who saw every occurrence that ever was and took them into account to determine the will be? The Infinity Game between the eldest two.

However, Jyggalag unquestionably _hated_ Akatosh. The Father of Dragons was the single most irrational being he knew. Sheogorath didn't count because _that_ particular aggravation was certifiably insane. Akatosh did not have that excuse. He was in full grasp of his senses, he just chose to act in the most childlike manner.

"You know," Nicholas said with a glint in his eyes. "Denial is the first step that leads to acceptance."

Harry's brow was begging to twitch rather violently now. "Why you brainless, asinine idiot…"

"You must realize by now that I'm speaking the truth. It's the _logical _conclusion…Jyggalag." Nicholas goaded.

"…I'm going to _murder _you Akatosh…"

"I'm starting to wonder if Cain and Abel were based off of us…what do you think?"

Harry took in a deep breath and calmed himself. Akatosh was simply trying to rile him up and, much to his shame, it was working. For now he should focus his efforts on getting free, then wrapping his hands around the throat of Nicholas Flamel.

"What do you want Akatosh? You did not bring me here to bring up an argument that is _literally _old as time itself." Harry said tonelessly.

The alchemist smiled at him in the most infuriating manner. "Now, now, I finally get to see you after over six centuries. What's a few more minutes of waiting, eh _brother_?"

"We weren't even the same species," Harry sighed in exasperation.

"Somezings just never change, non?" A throaty female voice lightly aired over to the two of them.

Harry craned his neck and his eyes slightly widened as he beheld the single most beautiful woman he had ever seen come into view. Tall, even taller than him with silver hair that went down to the back of delicate knees. A face that could only be described as the perfect personification of beauty. Full lips, high cheekbones and soft curves around the cheeks. Not to mention the brightest pair of azure eyes that probably ever existed. A pair of eyes, which were seemingly the opposite shade of Daphne's.

She walked over to where Akatosh stood in and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Same old argument, chéri?"

"He just refuses to see reason," Flamel said sadly. "But where are my manners! Harry Potter, my wife Pernelle. Pernelle, Harry Potter."

Harry grimaced as the woman's magic washed over him._ 'A second one…_wonderful_.'_

His lips curled in aversion as he mockingly said, "Kynareth, I wish I could say that it's delightful to see you again but I'm afraid I'd be lying."

"I can assure you," She said with her brow furrowed in equal distaste. "Ze feeling iz mutual."

"Isn't this nice! A long overdue family reunion!" Nicholas exclaimed while his wife and prisoner looked at him with disbelief. "Allow me to exclaim my astonishment," Harry said returning his gaze to Pernelle. "That you married the idiot for a second time."

"Zere are times where I feel equally astonished." She said while shaking her head. "Alas, such are ze tribulations of love. Not zat you would know anyzing about zat."

"Err…yes..well…" Nicholas said looking between the two uncomfortably.

There was a moment's silence as Harry and Pernelle sized each other up. Both looked as if they were prepared to tear into each other. Thankfully it was only the binds that kept Harry at bay that dissuaded Pernelle and prevented Harry from instigating such an event.

"Now tell me," Harry said. "Why have you kidnapped me?"

Nicholas looked positively insulted. "_Kidnapped? _Why I never! What would put such a ludicrous idea in your head? It was _you_, my dear scoundrel, who stole from me and activated my anti-thief enchantments!" He said while pointing an accusatory finger at Harry who looked duly unimpressed.

"You placed a portkey on an object you knew that was going to be used to bait a known dark wizard. A portkey that led to this chamber and, while I may not recognize all of them, these runes hold enough power to hold someone of triple my strength."

"In other words, you were expecting to catch a Prince in your trap and, as far as I know, there was only one other known Prince after the stone. Seeing as he is _not _sitting in my place and you do not look surprised at the least, I can only summarize that _I_ was your intended target."

Nicholas sighed as his shoulders' slouched in the face of Harry's impassive expression. "You know I hate it when you do that. Getting all robot-like on me. Can't you let me have my fun?"

"To the point, Akatosh. I do not have the luxury of eternity like you do," Harry said dryly.

Harry was secretly impressed that the old alchemist even knew what a robot was. Apparently his old rival had not made the typical magical decision and ignore muggles all together. Even Daphne had fallen into the fallacy of assuming that muggles were useless.

"Yes yes, this whole thing was an elaborate plot to isolate you and allow me the chance to hold a conversation without you attempting to blow my head off. Mind you, not that you would have succeeded." He said dismissively.

"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

Nicholas looked at him in amusement. "With all due respect Jyggalag, Pernelle and I have had six centuries to regain a significant portion of our old power. We are quite beyond any living creature. I would go so far as to say, together, no current magical force could surpass us."

Harry filed that bit of information for later and pushed another subject. "You knew I had reincarnated as well as my mortal identity even though I never gave it to you. How long have you been observing me?"

"Ohh, for the better part of nine years or so." He said pensively.

Harry blinked in surprise. Nine years of surveillance and he never once felt anything out of place? He was obviously severely overestimating the protective measures he had placed around himself. If he survived this meeting, there would be much change to his security methods.

"How did you discover me?"

"Ah, well, you see it during a trip to England. It had been several decades since my last visit and all that Dark lord nonsense had finally been cleared up so I thought I'd pay Albus a visit." When Pernelle scoffed from beside him, Nicholas gave a slight chuckle. "Yes, Pernelle has never liked my last apprentice."

"Ee iz far too arrogant for 'iz own good." She said in an annoyed tone.

"Truthfully," Nicholas said in a stage whisper. "She just doesn't like him because he made some negative comments on her cooking."

"Hmph! Ze English 'ave no sense of fine cuisine," She said while flipping her hair angrily.

"But I digress. You see, during my visit, Albus was ranting on and on about some prophecy and your sister the Girl-Who-Lived. He wished to procure my help in one of his many plots but I turned him down. However, I couldn't help but be curious as to the child who survived the Killing Curse."

"So, I may or may not have broken into Potter Manor to get a good look at such a fascinating child. Imagine my surprise when I find a toddler radiating Daedric Power as only a Prince could. Didn't think I'd ever live to see you diapers brother."

Ignoring the brother comment, Harry glared at Akatosh as he talked of Iris as if she were a specimen to be researched. "You were going to experiment on my sister, weren't you?" He said as his eyes hardened to steel.

Nicholas opened his mouth to speak but though better of it. "I caught up to 'im before 'ee could do anyzing foolish." Pernelle said. "If eet iz any consolation, you were a very cute baby."

There were exactly five seconds of silence before Harry let loose a string of curses that had Nicholas eyes widen near comically and Pernelle blushing madly. "Now. Why. Am. I. Here?" He ground out through gritted teeth.

"I have a proposition for you Jyggalag," Nicholas said carefully.

"A proposition?" Harry asked tonelessly.

"Yes," responded Nicholas.

"And what, exactly, does this proposition of yours entail?"

"We're not what we used to be," Nicholas said tiredly. His timeless eyes showed all the centuries his mortal eyes had witnessed. "We, that is to say Pernelle and I, have survived so far by being extremely careful and cautious."

Harry considered his words carefully. Nicholas was speaking truthfully. Regardless of how powerful the two were, they were not Divines any more. An army of mortals would have been annihilated with a single snap of their fingers before. Now, it would be suicide to garner such animosity from the majority of the population.

"Can you imagine the panic that would ensue if it became public knowledge of the existence of a previous world? Skies of Aetherius, what would happen if people knew the truth of our existence!? We'd be hunted down to the farthest corner of the globe!"

"You know zis to be true, Jyggalag. You of all people should know zat making too many enemies will never turn out well, regardless of 'ow powerful you are." Harry's mouth twisted at the reminder of his imprisonment but, he acknowledged her words. This was a point that he long ago concluded. There were too many limiting factors to directly take force to the world. Well…not until ascended in full anyways.

"You are suggesting a truce." Harry stated.

They both nodded, confirming what he had already concluded. "We cannot afford to war against each other in this new world. Of all the Princes, you are the most rational of the Seventeen and the only one we have encountered in our centuries on Earth."

Harry's brow furrowed in slight confusion. Six centuries and not one other Prince? It was a discontenting thought for Harry. Currently, there were three awakened Princes and a slumbering one. The chances of that happening at once…

"Yet, you must know of at least one other Prince out there or even another Aedra" Harry asked.

"Well, we _do _know for certain of the identity of one other Prince," Nicholas said.

"You speak of Voldemort." Again, it was a statement, not a question.

They both looked genuinely surprised at his knowing. "I met him not a scant few hours ago. He too was after your stone."

"Ah, yes. I had completely forgotten that Albus had his own designs for the stone. I knew that he would somehow attempt to lure Voldemort using my creation but, I had faith that you would figure it out beforehand and retrieve it before him."

"It was very simple really. I have no doubt that he was attempting to force a confrontation between Voldemort and my sister. But it has been dealt with." Harry said evenly.

"To put children in danger," Pernelle said in absolute disgust. "What a 'orrible man. Why you continue to associate wiz 'im iz beyond me, Nicholas."

"_My student is very amusing_," Nicholas said in French, his eyes sparkling.

"_Hmph! Fine! Don't listen to me but, don't you dare come crying to me when he lands you in trouble." _Pernelle huffed.

"_Ma chérie, the boy is not _that _clever. You give him too much credit."_

"Hmph!" She turned away from in anger and tapped her foot irritably as she crossed her arms.

"_Now don't get upset_," Nicholas pleaded.

"_I hate to interrupt_," Harry said in flawless French. _"But can we get on with this? I'm beginning to miss my bed." _

Once again, the Flamels tuned towards to Harry in surprise. Pernelle looked at him, with something else aside from revulsion for the first time. She seemed to appreciate the fact he spoke her language

"Oh, yes. My apologies Jyggalag. Now where were we?"

"The other Princes." Harry supplied.

"Of course. Well, you see, during Voldemort's initial rise, we found Daedric magic to be growing steadily in England. Yet, upon the day of his defeat, instead of stagnating or decreasing, the opposite was occurring. Daedra power was increasing at an exponential rate. Which could only mean that, not only did Voldemort survive but, another Prince must have awoken." Nicholas stopped a moment and placed a finger to his chin.

"We were very surprised to find zat you were releasing more power zen even 'ee was when we first discovered you." Pernelle said.

"He has yet to awaken." Harry simply stated.

They both looked on in genuine shock at his revelation. "You mean to tell me he committed all those atrocities without even being fully aware of himself?!" Nicholas exclaimed.

"_La Neuf_," Pernelle said.

"As I said, I've spoken to him…you have a way to measure the ambient Daedric presence within an entire country?"

"Hmm…oh yes. I created it years ago. Never really got it to work until Voldemort popped up but…by the Nine and the Seventeen! It's hard to believe that he managed such a power base purely as a mortal and didn't awaken even the slightest!"

"I have already placed several contingencies for his permanent removal. However, for now, I believe it's best to leave him be."

Stroking his non-existent beard, Nicholas said, "If you say so…now as I was saying, Wwth you returned, Daedric power was quickly building up within the British Isles. Then, roughly seven years later, there was another explosion of Daedric magic and the scales skyrocketed. It became quickly apparent that another Prince had awakened."

"We became razzer worried at the time. In our entire centuries of existence, we 'ave never come across anozzer Aedra or Daedra. Suddenly, zere were three of zem."

Harry nodded his head. "Naturally you wanted to avoid conflict and decided to approach me to garner my trust and cooperation."

"Exactly," Nicholas said. "We wanted to wait until you were slightly older but, barely two years ago a _fourth _Prince made itself known on my device."

"That is something that has been bothering me for some time. In the last fifteen years, there have been four confirmed Princes by my count. Statistically speaking, the chances of that are astronomical…but you know this, don't you Akatosh?" Harry intoned.

"You are aware of your siblings?" Pernelle questioned.

"I have been for some time, yes" He said. No need for the Aedra to know everything about Nocturnal and Azura. "And while I've had my suspicions about Voldemort for quite some time, they were very recently confirmed."

"Regardless," Nicholas said. "You are correct. The chances of four Princes being alive at once is, well, ridiculous."

"Then do you know why such an event has occurred? The only conclusion I could fathom is that a tear in the fabric of reality centered on Daedric magic caused the forced reincarnation of myself and the others."

"You're correct," Nicholas said. "For the most part, though."

"Some elaboration is required, Akatosh."

Nicholas raised his hand and wandlessly conjured a manila folder. He offered it to Harry but when, all he received in return was a deadly glare, he realized his mistake. Harry was still tied to the chair and in no way could handle the documents he tried to give him.

Harry eagerly awaited to be freed as his arms had long gone sore and he was beginning to lose feeling in them. As Nicholas moved to untie him, he hesitated and cautiously asked, "Uh...you will try not to attack me, won't you?"

Harry remained silent for a few moments before he dryly said, "I'm surprised that you didn't include your wife in that request. Shows what a great husband you are."

His comment caused Nicholas to pale slightly as Pernelle balefully glared at him.

After a tense minute, Harry acquiesced and Nicholas undid the bindings on him although, his magic was still bound.

As Harry took the file and opened it, he turned towards Nicholas and gave him a curious look. The Father of Dragons urged him to read on with a gesture of the eyes.

It was an incident report from the Department of Mysteries dated in the year of nineteen seventy-five. Three years before his birth. The majority of the document was blacked out, leaving only, a few scant details that made little sense.

"Huh..." Harry muttered. "Artefact 03427C was destroyed when Experiment S-21985 failed and overloaded. Failure to contain the incident caused magical residue from Artefact 03427A to come into contact with Artefact 00011A. Unknown phenomena occurred where researchers were absorbed into Artefact 00011A."

Harry was found the next few lines to be incredibly disturbing. The ramifications if his suspicions were found to be true would be colossal. "All four Unspeakables were later thrown out of Artefact 00011A exactly one week later, down to the very second."

Harry frowned as he read on. "Researcher-" His name was blacked out. "Visibly aged several decades but claimed that he felt he never left Experiment S-21985 perimeters. Researcher- was reduced to her teenage years in both body and mind and shows no recollection of having finished her schooling. Researcher- has no changes physically however, he is prone to rave incoherently and now certified to be entirely insane. Researcher- is now dead as she came out a still developing fetus."

Harry raised his gaze towards Nicholas and Pernelle and his eyes narrowed to slits. "One of the artefacts…it was a time turner, wasn't it?"

Pernelle nodded gravely. "Ze original one."

"My own creation," Nicholas sighed in grief. "I fashioned it in 1908. Took me three centuries worth of hard work. My greatest achievement and my greatest regret."

"1908," Harry mumbled. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he turned an accusatory glare at Nicholas. "Siberia or Italy?"

"Siberia," Pernelle said angrily.

"So _you_ were the cause of the Tunguska Explosion. I should have known…" Harry said as he shook his head.

"Yes…well…" Nicholas started as he began to look very uncomfortable. "I had originally stored my time-turner in a safe-house in Normandy but Grindlewald's forces stole it while I was in the capital at the time. They had no idea what it was and eventually it ended up in the British's hands after the war. By the time I managed to track it down, they had created various inferior copies. Though, luckily, they had enough sense to never actually use my device to change history."

"But zey used eet nonezeless and destroyed eet. And to make matters worse, zey managed to expose eet to anozzer powerful item." Pernelle said in exasperation.

"You're carelessness will destroy us all, Akatosh," Harry intoned, causing Nicholas to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "What was the second artefact?"

"We don't know," Nicholas said immediately.

"…You're lying." Harry said flatly.

"Regardless…I'm sure you realize the magnitude of this report." Nicholas said, quickly changing the subject.

"A Dragon Break," Harry said, his eyes losing any and all emotion as the words escaped his lips.

"Yes," Nicholas sighed.

Dragon break: Named for Akatosh, the Father of Dragons and Lord of Time.

Perhaps the single most dangerous and frightening occurrence in existence. When time itself is rendered asunder. A wound in the linear path of the time-line that forces several identical events to be played out at once. A timeless time that is beyond the comprehension of mortals. When the temporal realm is unwound, it attempts to repair itself and, in response, reality is twisted and existence warped. That no significant tragedy occurred at the Department of Mystery was a miracle in itself. The time wound must have been minuscule.

'_And if Akatosh believes the Dragon Break is responsible for sudden the abundance of Princes in the world…the second artefact must be Daedric in nature.'_

But the question was, what exactly was it? For any relic to be powerful enough to force three Princes into an existing…it must be deeply immersed in Daedric magic. However, Harry would have been able to sense something that powerful regardless of how well it was hidden within the confines of the Ministry. Daedric magic is far too dense to be kept hidden by mortal magic. So why was it that such a magnificent source of Power was obscured from him?

"There is a chance that there are other Princes out there, unawaken and dormant." Harry said.

Pernelle nodded as Nicholas, "And that is why we need you to control them Jyggalag. Look at Voldemort. Even asleep, he wrought havoc across an entire nation for decades. If your brethren went to war as they did in the past, there won't a world left."

"That is, if you don't manage to destroy it beforehand Akatosh. Seventeen know that you could do the humans what you made the Dwemer do to themselves." Harry said.

"Excuse me!" Nicholas exclaimed indignantly. "That was more _your _fault more than _mine_!"

"_My _fault!? You were the one who decided to randomly toss a Heart of a Divine onto the mortal plane instead of hiding it away!"

"The only reason the Dwemer even used the Heart was because _you _got yourself sealed away! _You _were the one that gifted them and guided them with logic and all that wonderful crap!" Nicholas shot back. "Honestly, they tried to replace _you_ by _creating_ their own god! What kind of logic were you feeding them?!"

"Why you microscopic, feeble minded half-wit! I was gone for _centuries _before they made such an anserine choice! _You _let it happen, Mister-I'm-For-The-Betterment-Of-All-Existence!"

"Enough!" Pernelle shouted. " 'onestly! You'd zink zat after an entire eternity of arguing you two could hold some impression of a civilized conversation! _Non! Instead you stupidly regress into childish bickering._"

As Pernelle began to rant in French, both Harry and Nicholas, with practiced ease, tuned her out. After nearly five minutes of time wasted, Harry turned to Nicholas and commanded, "Return me."

Nicholas handed him the same red gem that brought him here and, as Harry turned it in his fingers, Nicholas said, "The activation password is 'Hogwarts'. It will return you to the exact location which you departed from."

"Right…now…I'm forgetting something…" Harry said thoughtfully as he crossed his arms and tapped his fingers across his elbows.

Nicholas laughed. "_You? _The 'Greatest Mind to Exist' forgot something? Must have been quite the trivial thing."

Harry unfurled his arms and said, "Actually, it's something quite important."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

Harry's fist lashed out and there was a loud crack as Nicholas crumpled to the floor.

"Was zat really necessary?" Pernelle gritted out while glaring at him heatedly.

Harry shook his hand as pain spiked though his knuckles where they had made contact with Nicholas's jaw. "If you didn't foresee this then I severely miscalculated your intelligence."

She huffed and muttered something that suspiciously sounded like 'men'.

Before he activated the portkey, Harry turned his attention to Pernelle and examined her with a pensive expression. She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny and looked apprehensive momentarily. However, her expression quickly turned hostile. "What?" She asked irratibly.

"What are you?" Harry asked, his voice quickly losing the emotion Nicholas had inspired within him.

Pernelle seemed to freeze and looked at Harry with a frigid expression. "What are you implying, _monsieur_?"

"You are not human. Not entirely." Harry said as his voice seemed to drop a few degrees deeper.

She stiffened and her voice dripped with venom. "I am a Veela."

"_Really_," Harry drawled as his head tilted and a sudden glint of hunger emerged into his staunch grey eyes. "I suppose you would be…it suits your nature. And it certainly explains why my Occlumency shields have been under minor assault this entire time."

Pernelle took a step back as Harry approached with a merciless and calculating countenance. "I've never met a Veela before…I wonder just how _does_ your magic work? Is it tied to your magical coils and directly influences you? Or does it alter your body on the molecular level?"

"I'd love to…_take apart…_your magic"

Suddenly, Harry found it incredibly difficult to breathe as Pernelle's magic came crashing down upon him. Apparently she remembered that his magic was still bound. "Leave Jyggalag," she said austerely. Then her voice dropped to a harsh whisper, "And if I ever find that you have harmed one of my sisters you will be _very_ sorry indeed."

"You don't trust me, Kynerath?" Harry said with a cold smile.

"At this point Jyggalag," She said mirroring his smile. "I don't know if you're a true enemy or a false friend."

"Feeling paranoid?"

Her smile grew as she said, "Good-bye Jyggalag."

* * *

**Author's Note: Akatosh is meant to offset Jyggalag. Fun-loving, careless and immature to the strict and severe. **

**And yeah, I fabricated that part with Akatosh and Jyggalag being the first two to arise in the Elder Scrolls universe. It's deep lore and not really all that relevant but, it serves to help with the relrelationship between the two. **

**Akatosh/Nicholas Flamel: ****Chief of the Nine Divines, Lord of all Aedra, Father of Dragons and the Dragon Lord of Time. Akatosh ****represents the qualities of endurance, invincibility, and everlasting legitimacy and is worshiped as the primary deity by nearly every race in the Elder Scroll Nicholas Flamel, he is renowned as the world's greatest alchemist and has made several startling advances in magic under various pseudonyms. He is currently attempting to garner the trust of Jyggalag in order to control the sudden appearance of the Daedric Princes.  
**

**Kynerath/Pernelle Flamel: Divine** **of the heavens, the winds, the elements, and the unseen spirits of the air. She is considered one of the most benevolent beings in the Elder Scrolls series. She is rarely encountered in the games but, her actions have a great deal of significance. It was she who taught the people of Skyrim the language of Dragons and helped in their rebellion against them. As Pernelle Flamel, she continues her role as wife to Akatosh and reigns in his childishness by using her Veela nature to wrap him around her little finger. Although she agrees with Nicholas that the Princes must be reigned in, she disagrees with allying with them. She is especially distrustful of Jyggalag as his reputation as the most cruel of Princes leads her to believe that he'd be better off sealed away. Her compassionate nature permits her from doing the logical thing and killing off the reincarnated Princes.  
**

**Dragon Break: Unique phenomena where time itself is torn apart. In trying to heal itself, it causes several strange and impossible occurrences. **

**Hope You enjoyed! **

**Happy Friday the 13th!**

**CE-NEX**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: A lot of detail and emotion in this chapter. **

**Hope you enjoy! **

* * *

**Chapter 9: All the World is but a Stage**

Harry inhaled deeply as he watched the rolling hills of Scotland pass by. His meeting with Akatosh and Kynerath had shaken him deeply. Even now, the pounding of his heart and the sheer anxiety still made itself known.

It wasn't just that he was face to face with the ones he would called enemies in the past and attacked on sight. It was the desperation that had fastened to him as he sat bounded in powerless. It was _far_ too similar to his imprisonment as Sheogorath. The two Aedra could have killed him without hesitation if they had wanted to. He had been helpless.

And it had terrified him.

'_A traumatized Prince…how pathetic.'_

Revulsion roiled within him as self-hatred rose like bile within his throat. His imprisonment may not have adversely affected him as Jyggalag but, as Harry however…

An involuntary shudder wracked him.

He remembered each and every action he had taken during his abominable time as the Prince of Madness. He remembered every insufferable deed without reason. He remembered how much joy he felt every time he caused random chaos without control or rationale. And worse of all, he remembered how much it had _hurt._

The utter_ agony _of being aware of every feeble-minded stroke he had taken and how he had reveled in it tore at Order as it was concealed behind oceans of Madness. He was genius of the highest degree. Yet, he didn't need his genius to realize how deep seated the fear of being imprisoned once again was rooted within his mortal mind.

His magic churned as his anger built.

He would conquer his fears. Crush them underneath.

He was Jyggalag and nothing would stop him from returning to his rightful throne.

He exhaled carefully as he stirred his magic within him. The Prince would emerge victorious…even if he had to completely reduce Harry Potter within him. He would _never _be bound again.

Harry turned his head to look directly in front of him and saw Daphne was mirroring his previous action. She seemed to be deeply immersed within her mind as the train sped past the green fields. He had delivered the Aedra's proposal to both Daphne and Luna this very morning. Daphne said she needed time to weigh the full ramifications of such a decision and Luna had remained silent the entire time.

Harry felt a small weight fall onto his shoulder and looked over to see that Iris was dozing off on him. They were heading back home for the winter holidays. Normally, Harry would stay behind but, there several things he needed to research and Hogwarts' library was limited to certain academic fields. The Potter library was far more extensive and contained over two millennia's worth of family notes and research.

Clavicus's mirror was one thing he was resolved to figure out. He had a certain creeping suspicion to the true purpose of the mirror and, if the suspicion was proven true, there would be much to gain from it. He also needed to find a way to get his hands on a catalogue of the Department of Mysteries. That relic that was indicated in Akatosh's file…it was undoubtedly a potent Daedric Artefact. The last major thing on his list, was the research into Iris's scar. While curse scars were not unheard of, every werewolf bore one, Iris's was one of a kind in existence.

Harry continued to look down at his younger sister as her head drooped lower and lower to the lull of the train's sway. Carefully, he lifted his arm so that she was pressed into his side and placed around her it around her diminutive frame.

"Hmm?" She hummed drowsily.

"Sleep," He commanded softly.

As she burrowed into his side, Harry became self-conscious of what he had actually done and cast a subtle sweep of his eyes through the compartment. Luna and Hannah were talking softly while Susan was reading a novel. Daphne, on the other hand, had a slight uplifting of her lips as she continued to stare out the window.

Harry's brow came together slightly at her perceived amusement but he refused to be embarrassed over his own actions. He would never deny that Iris meant something to him. At the same time, he would never confirm it if someone asked him.

A dark possessiveness flared within him. Hot and ready to lash out. Regardless of what anyone said, Iris belonged to_ him_. She was completely and utterly _his. _Just as Nocturnal and Azura also belonged to him. Even if they themselves didn't know it.

If there was one thing about Harry, it was that he was not someone who was willing to share. The moment he marked something as his possession, he would rather see it destroyed than in the hands of another.

He brought his magic out and willed it to heat the air around Iris. Even though the train was layered with warming charms to rebuff the chilly December air, he knew that Iris was exceptionally baleful of the cold and often wrapped herself in blankets when she slept.

As his magic tightened and created friction within the air, he could feel Iris mumble something into him. His sense of ownership became darker and he wrapped his arm around her tighter. This would be the first time since he started Hogwarts that he would be spending the Yule with his family and, as Daphne had talked him into it, he would attempt to spend a moderate amount of time with them. Seventeen knew that it gave him a headache to merely think down to their levels.

He would be subjugating himself to his mother's sentimentality, his father's immaturity and, worst of all, his cousin Sirius's idiocy. Sirius Black, while a very capable wizard, was the single most childish mortal he had ever had the misfortune to meet. What was worse, was that they were related to one another. Sirius's grandfather, Arcturus Black, was the elder brother of Harry's grandmother, Dorea Black. Effectively making them second cousins.

And as far as cousins went, Sirius was second from the top on the 'I despise you' list. The very top spot was reserved for Bellatrix Lestrange. From nearly every account he had heard from various sources, dearest cousin Bella, was veritably insane. Which, of course, meant that if they were ever to cross paths, her life would automatically be forfeit.

"You know," Daphne's voice softly carried over in the language of the elder Snow Elves. "I'm actually quite jealous of you."

Harry looked at Daphne with small curiosity.

"If only Astoria admired me the way Iris seems to admire you. I'd certainly have far fewer dresses going missing from my wardrobe."

Harry hummed in amusement.

He knew all too well of Iris's infatuation with him. However, he had dismissed it as nothing more than a childish crush. Within a few years she would grow out of it and find herself someone else to adore. Someone he would approve of course.

His less than friendly reputation was already acting as a major deterrent to several of the younger males from getting close to Iris. All save for the Weasely boy. Though that particular pest was far too idiotic to actually garner any form of affection from his sister so he had been merciful…up until now.

Honestly, he had been _very _patient with Iris's ever growing fan club. She was still young and, therefore, had yet to mature into an adult body. Once she did however; that would be when he would start taking more lethal measures.

While contemplating various gruesome demises for Iris's potential suitors, another portion of his mind was simultaneously contemplating Daphne's advice on the initial ride to Hogwarts. Perhaps, there was nothing to lose from strengthening the bonds between himself and his parents. His father was easily enough manipulated, his mother, on the other hand, he was hesitant to deeply interact with.

Emotion held a major influence on the nature of magic. Harry's near flawless control over his magic negated any sort of need to derive power from his emotions yet, there were some people whose magic was inherently tied with their emotional state. The variant of emotion often developed the depth and quality of their magic. They felt their emotions much stronger than others.

Lily Potter was one such individual. The strength of her emotions was so prevalent on her magic that, Harry could read her mood from across the manor without using legilimency. Incidentally, it was also the reason why his mother's behavior was so erratic at time. She is not capable of handling severe distress in volume. All too often, Harry felt waves of desperation pooling from his mother.

An insane mother would be of no use to him and, quite frankly, was a complete affront to everything he stood for. At the same time, conversely, allowing her too much sway within his life would hamper his mobility and capacity to achieve various objectives. He would have to find a way to balance his mother's failing sanity with his need to remain entirely independent from her.

How cumbersome.

As the hours rolled away, the first year girls all fell asleep, save for Luna who began a conversation with the other two Princes within the compartment. "I do believe we need to speak about the Aedra."

Daphne looked over to her and her delicate lips turned slightly downwards. "I still do not believe we have enough information to go on about how to properly manage this. Do they truly not know about us? Arethere _really_ only two of them? How do we know they are not plotting to kill us in our mortal state?"

"We don't," Harry said.

"What we do know, is that they are aware of at least four Princes within the Isles. What they are not aware of, is the identity of you two. Undoubtedly, they are hoping that I lead them to you two."

Luna craned her head. "So we can't trust them?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Harry scoffed. "Of course we can't. What we _can _be sure of, however, is that they wished to be left alone in peace. Our combined presence is a…shall we say, 'security issue' for them."

"So what _do _we do?" Daphne asked.

"We continue on as planned." Harry said. "I told you that I have contingency plans for any Aedra that may come to harm us."

"Plans you have yet to share," Daphne accused with a glare.

"Patience," Harry chided with a condescending twitch of the lips. "Leave the Aedra to me. Concentrate on your tasks at hand."

"Speaking of which," Luna spoke up "I have spoken with the house elves and they informed me of the history of the elves and the elder partition. I believe that the elves, the true elves, have actually managed to remove themselves to a different plane of existence."

Harry's brow rose slightly and Daphne looked impressed. "They managed to reallocate their entire species to another plane? So I was right in my suspicions."

Luna looked at him questionably but continued, "According to the house elves, the last known vestige of the Old Elves, is located within the Orkneys."

At the mention of the northern archipelago, triumph soared through Harry as various plans came to fruition. There was a reason he had asked Luna to approach the house elves on the subject of their mythic ancestors.

"Of course," Harry breathed with small smile twisted itself on his lips. "The Rings of Brodgar…why didn't I see it before?"

"The Standing Stones? What of them?" Daphne inquired on behalf of herself and a curious Luna.

"Do you remember what I said of the very first Shard of Oblivion I found?" His face slowly morphing into one of palpable desire and conquest.

When Harry was nine years old, he had learned to apparate and he used his ability to track down a Shard of Oblivion that he had sensed on a family outing to the Orkneys. Within a Nordic tomb on one of the islands, Harry found a peculiar device that drew its energy from a Daedric Sigil Stone. He had spent weeks within the Potter Library attempting to decipher the runes and markings on the device.

Ultimately, he learned that it was of Elven origin. Not the dainty little creatures that slave over the numerous wizarding households, but the ones that once ruled the northern lands of the world. The ancient crafters of Magic. It was obvious to him that the long lost race, which had simply vanished from the face of the planet, held various pieces of the Old World.

"I found that piece within the Orkneys and while I was there, I briefly managed to examine the stones. It was obvious to me that the stones act as some sort of magical anchor but to what, remained unknown. It is quite obvious to me now that they actually serve to diffuse the spatial barrier between realms."

"So it's a portal?" Luna asked, confusion written clearly across her face.

"Not a portal," Harry said, trying to word his explanation as carefully as possible. "More akin to a ladder."

"You're confusing me, dear brother." She said.

"Have you ever thought about where the soul exists?"

Both female Princes blinked in surprise at the abrupt change in subject.

"What does that have to do with anything, Jyggalag?" Daphne said filled with irk.

"Humor me."

"The Astral Plane," Luna said immediate.

"Exactly" Harry said with a nod. "The Astral _Plane. _Not a dimension."

"Make sense already!" Daphne huffed.

Harry sighed. It was such a burden being the only true intelligence in the world. What he wouldn't give to talk with someone he could call his intellectual equal. Then again, an intellectual equal would be parallel to a rival and rivals were to be eliminated for any chance of threat. His life was so difficult sometimes.

"I could tear apart your body right now and yet, I would not find your soul seeing how it exists on another plane. _However_, just as you are sitting there, so is your soul in that exact same vicinity. It remains on a higher plane of existence rather than the physical one where our bodies exist."

At their looks of confusion Harry sighed again.

"A plane is very different from a dimension. We say dimension but, what we really mean is an alternative universe. A separate set of existences bound by the same laws of reality. A _plane _however, is a layer of existence in another reality all together and functions to its own precepts. Where a picture of a house is two dimensional…"

"The house itself is three dimensional," Luna finished in wonder.

"Precisely," Harry said, glad they finally were starting to comprehend. "The Planes of Existence are all on top of one another. A very complex and convoluted onion, if you will."

"Like an ogre," Luna said with confidence.

"What?" Harry said, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What in Oblivion do those foul smelling simpletons have to do with this?"

She opened her mouth but quickly shut it.

"But wait," Daphne said, the cogs in her head slowly spinning. "If what you say is true then…bloody hell…"

Harry grinned absolutely predatory. "The Old Elves didn't migrate to a new world. They _transcended _to one."

Daphne's eyes shone with dark hunger. "And if we can somehow duplicate that ritual…"

"We can ascend to a higher state." Luna finished in awe.

"And once we ascend to the level of those elves, we find the Shards of Oblivion they have, absorb them into ourselves while being in an ascended state. It should be enough to secure the reclamation of our true station."

"By the Seventeen! That's a bloody ambitious plan of yours!" Daphne exclaimed loudly.

Iris stirred on his side as Daphne's voice filled the compartment. Harry quickly cast her a frown and placed a silencing ward individually on each of the slumbering girls. "Yes it's ambitious. And more than likely it's going to take years to accomplish."

"How many years?" Daphne asked. "And how long have you been planning this?"

"Depending on how quickly we can gather resources, I'd estimate from anywhere between five to ten years. As for how long, well, I've been speculating on the missing Elven race for nearly four years now."

They grew quiet together and after a while Luna asked. "What exactly is necessary for you to pull off this ritual?"

Harry frowned momentarily before saying, "For one, I'd need to know exactly _where _the Elves ended up. Last thing we need to do is find ourselves in the middle of some bloody realm where we cannot even maintain a physical form. The second thing is finding out _how _they did it and managing the resources to gather the necessary material for such a massive undertaking. And lastly, we need to be powerful enough to achieve such a feat."

Luna's lips thinned. "Powerful enough?"

"I am under no illusion as to whether or not, amongst the three of us, we could successfully jump to another state of existence with our present strength. We'd only end up killing ourselves if we tried currently."

"So that's the plan then?" Daphne asked with a cool eyebrow raised.

"A rough outline, yes" Harry said. "Azura, with her aptitude and affinity for elves, will concentrate on unearthing the secrets of the missing Elven race. You, will be laying the ground work for us to establish a viable network of resources, both financial as well as political. I will concentrate on solidifying our power base and elevating us to satisfy the necessary magic required for the ritual."

"So that's it, then? So close yet, so far?" Daphne said quietly while gazing out the window.

"The Elven ascension was but one way I devised to return to our true selves. I was never quite sure if they had or hadn't gone to a higher plane of existence but, now that Azura has provided the last piece to that puzzle, we can move onwards with this path."

The three Princes settled into a somber silence yet, their magic was threating to burst and tear its way through the train at their sudden found joy. The realization that they now had a viable way to reclaim what was rightfully theirs excited the Daedra within them and lit a terrible fire of longing.

Several more minutes passed and Harry gently woke Iris and her two friends. She was quite comfortable on top of him so it took some effort on his part to completely rouse her. Nevertheless, they would arrive within a few short minutes and soon be on their way to Potter Manor.

The next half-hour passed as a blur as they gathered their belongings and left the train. Harry separated from Iris as she bade good-bye to several of her year mates for the winter holiday and he went off with Daphne to track Astoria down. Luna found her father right away and the two of them left immediately.

Astoria had managed to reunite with the elder two Greengrassess before Daphne and Harry found her. The couple were fawning over their youngest daughter when Harry and Daphne had arrived. Upon noticing them, Catarina wrapped Daphne in a tight hug. "Oh I've missed my darling Angels so much. Did you have a wonderful semester, sweetie?"

"Yes mother, it was very enjoyable. You were correct in telling me to take ancient runes. It is a very enjoyable class."

"It is isn't it?" Catarina said with a smile. "Bathsheda is a very capable teacher. I should know, she tutored me back when we were both in Hogwarts."

"Really? I did not know that she was so young." Harry said.

"Harry!" Catarina exclaimed, noticing him for the first time. "How have you been? Did Astoria give you too much trouble while at Hogwarts?"

As Catarina placed a hand on his arm, Harry gave a polite smile and nodded his head in greeting. "No more than her sister."

Harry kept his face perfectly schooled as Daphne dug her elbow into his side very subtly. Very subtly…and painfully. "Did you hear that my dear wife? Harry was astonished to find you were in Bathsheda's age group. I wonder what our boy here meant."

Michael Greengrass walked towards them with Astoria clutched to his side and offered Harry his hand. Harry gave him a firm handshake, "Only that I find myself exceedingly envious of you, sir." Astoria giggled from beside her father as he let out a booming laugh. Daphne elbowed him again…harder.

Catarina placed a hand over her heart and beamed at him. "You are so sweet, Harry. Why couldn't you have been born about fifteen years earlier? I would have ensnared you then rather than this lout." She said playfully smacking her husband's arm.

"I beg your pardon?" Michael said indignantly though his eyes were shining with mirth. Daphne elbowed him once more and this time, Harry did flinch. Undoubtedly he'd have a large ugly bruise by the time he managed to get to bed tonight.

"Do you think we'd have been born with Harry's eyes if he was our daddy Daphne?" Astoria enquired innocently from next to Michael.

"Please," Daphne said while flipping her hair haughtily. "As if the Universe would mar my perfections with Potter's inferior looks."

"Daphne," Catarina chided. "Play nice."

She huffed in response.

'_Ironic_', Harry thought as he gave a small smile in Daphne's direction while the rest of the Greengrass family laughed. It was ironic how their roles were reversed in front of Daphne's family. Alone, she always did her best to entice his emotions out of him while he acted the part of superiority. Yet, in front of Astoria, Catarina and Michael, it was she who acted the part of noble scion while he gave the polite smiles and small laughs.

"I do believe it is time for me to leave. My family is probably expecting me." Harry said.

"Harry, lad," Michael began. "We were hoping you'd have dinner with us over the holidays. I understand that asking you to the Yule would be too much but, perhaps another day?"

It was the same every year. The Greengrass family would invite over the winter holidays but he would always remain behind at Hogwarts. "I will have to check my schedule in accord to my family but, other than that, I'd be delighted to."

The elder couple smiled happily at him and Catarina moved to wrap her arms around his waist. He returned the gesture, albeit in a more subdued manner as she said, "How I wish that I could snatch you away. You're like the son I have always wanted."

"I feel so loved mother," Daphne's voice carried over, dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh hush Daphne," Catarina said as he pulled away from him.

Harry's lips twitched as he turned around to lock gazes with a furious pair of emerald eyes that were twin to his own.

"Hello mother."

* * *

Lily went looking for her son the moment she and James found Iris with her friends. Poor Susan would be coming home with them because Amelia was out of country attending an international security conference in Spain. Hannah would be using the floo from their manor as her parents were working late at the ministry; busy closing up for the holidays.

Yet, Harry was nowhere in sight. It had taken her but a moment to remember that Harry had not come home over the last two years for the winter holidays. He had opted to stay within the walls of Hogwarts rather than spend Yule with his family.

It hurt.

Knowing her own child preferred the cold walls of the ancient castle to his own home.

The moment she had let go of Iris and did not spot Harry, she immediately asked her daughter for the whereabouts of her brother. Iris responded by saying, "No idea. He went off with Daphne somewhere."

Those words had clawed at her heart with ice. Is that where Harry went every winter? Was he spending it with the Greengrass family? Had she been replaced by Catarina Greengrass in his heart?

Sheer agony flared within Lily as her heart constricted at the thought of Harry in the arms of another woman. Memories of a giggling toddler with vibrant green eyes and a shock of ebony hair filled her. The way Harry used to spiel his nonsense baby talk always put Lily's heart a flutter.

She raced off to find her son, ignoring James calling from behind. Eyes darting left and right, desperation and adrenaline pumped through her blood as a horrid anxiety built within her. She took note of every face as she searched for her missing son.

'_Where are you!?...my baby….come to mommy my baby.'_

The dread began to twist within her as she couldn't find a single trace of Harry. Something ugly and repulsive reared its head within the darkest confines of Lily's heart. Whispering what she feared the most.

It was then, in the moment of desolation, that she felt it. The edges of her magic sifted through the cacophony of people and reached out to the familiar wall of unflinching ice. _Harry's _magic. Magic so incredibly dense and cold that Lily could only compare it to a fortress of steel.

She raced through the mass of people, pushing and shoving disgruntled people aside, towards the source of her son's impassive and intimidating magical presence. When she finally spied his rich ebony locks and his back encased with a grey cloak, a smile broke out onto Lily's face. Only to be swiftly replaced with one of abject anguish.

Lily stopped in her tracks as what she was dreading played out in front of her. Barely five meters away from where she stood, had Catarina Greengrass with her arms wrapped around the waist of her son. Even worse, was when Harry lightly placed his own hands on the Greengrass matriarch's back.

Almost trance like, Lily walked in hopeless despair towards her runaway son who was being lovingly embraced by some other woman than her. She got close enough to hear the words Catarina said as she cupped Harry's cheek.

"How I wish that I could snatch you away. You're like the son I have always wanted."

Right there, in that moment, something within Lily Potter snapped and that ugly creature within her heart revealed itself to be a monstrous dragon. Every ounce of despair roared into pure rage as Catarina's words seeped into her.

'_How _dare _she!? That's _my _son!'_

Like hell Lily was about to let that…_bitch _steal her Harry away from her. Harry was _Lily's _son! He would be going home with _her_. It was Lily who would spend this night with Harry in her arms.

Love, twisted and dark, rose within the confines of Lily's blood as her wand snapped into her hand and her magic saturated the immediate air around her. Several witches and wizards began to give her nervous glances as she advanced upon the Greengrass family. "I feel so loved, mother." The blonde harlot said.

'_Don't worry you little slut! Your mother will never look at my son again!'_

"Oh hush Daphne," Lily's fury erupted tenfold as the bitch turned towards her daughter while putting a hand on Harry's arm.

Lily's mouth opened to unleash a horde of curses but suddenly, her magic was seized and wrenched apart as cold, metallic waves of frost washed over her.

She was frozen in place as dense and heavy layers of magic collapsed on top of her and Harry slowly turned around, an impassive and hard look on his face. Momentarily lost in her fury, Lily pushed her magic further and, for the first time in over ten years, mother and child melded their magic together.

Lily's magic filled with molten fury and hot possessiveness while Harry's was resolute dark and utterly glacial. The mother's malice for the Greengrass clan elicited a volatile reaction from the son and his overwhelming power ploughed into the mother.

Lily let out an inaudible gasp as sheets of black ice poured into her veins and froze her very being into a solitary existence. In the single second it took for all of this to happen, Lily finally took notice of the unflinching jade eyes that mirrored her own.

There was a slight curve to the other's lips as he said, "Hello…_mother_."

All sense of apocalyptic rage was lost as Lily flung herself onto her son. Her arms locked around his neck as her hands entwined themselves in his waves of onyx. Her face was deeply impressed onto the hollow of his throat. She pressed her lips to the hard ivory over his collar bone and inhaled his solid metallic tang.

"My baby," she softly cried into him.

Lily felt Harry's hands slowly press against the small of her back and happiness surged up through her chest into her throat. She nearly choked on a small sob. She didn't care that Harry's touch seemed to sap the warmth right through her clothes. She was in pure bliss to finally have her baby boy in her arms again.

There was slight rumbling of his chest and Lily looked up to see her son's lips shadowed in amusement. Her eyes, wet and naked with emotion, peered into his own glittering orbs and, despite the chill seeping into her waist, Lily felt a hotness crawl up her back and into her face. Harry's eyes seemed to be giving off an emerald heat as his eyes smoldered from beneath his lashes. Lashed that were long and heavy with blackness.

'_So beautiful…my son is so beautiful.'_

Lily's hands left the mess of hair she caused and carefully framed his face. She meticulously took in every detail of his features, committing every line and shape to her memory. She traced his cheek, his jaw and his lips with her shaking fingers.

So deeply mesmerized was she with her son that, she didn't even notice his arms leaving her back and gripping her arms. When she felt him gently push her away, she panicked and attempted to latch onto him. However, a feral flash of his eyes stopped her dead and she allowed him to pull away. As he softly turned towards the slightly bewildered Greengrass family, an irrational part of her wanted to yank him back towards her.

Her fingers dug into one of his arms as she was not pleased with the fact that he would turn his attention to somewhere other than her. She caught the rippling of muscle on his neck and realized just how well Harry managed to keep himself in shape.

"I will owl you in a few days. Now I must bid you all a good-day. It seems it is time for me to return home."

Savage delight surged through Lily as she saw the slightly crestfallen face of Catarina Greengrass. There was no way on this planet Lily would allow this woman to have her son. "I understand, Harry. Hopefully we'll see each other soon."

Harry inclined his head while Lily thought, _'Don't count on it bitch!'_

As Harry turned and swept past her, Lily acted on instinct and reached for her son's hand immediately. The moment she felt her warmth flowing into his hard flesh, Lily looked up at him hoping to catch some form of emotion on in his eyes. He turned towards her and she shyly smiled at him. When he turned his face back forwards, she felt her heart sink. However, when she beheld the slight twitch of his lips, it soared with joy.

"You're not wearing your ring today."

Lily blinked as Harry's voice swept through her.

"What?" She asked in a fusion of nervousness and confusion.

"Back in Hogwarts." Lily marveled at the quality of Harry's voice. It was a rich, dark tenor. Seemingly reverberating through the air, his voice alone held an enthralling quality. Like a dark sorcerer casting his enchantments, Harry's voice entranced and commanded the thoughts of any who listened. "You were wearing your Potter ring."

"Oh, yeah. It was because we didn't want Dumbledore sifting through our heads." Lily was suddenly hit with the realization that perhaps the Headmaster was using his Legilimency on Iris and Harry. Perhaps she should ask Severus to teach the two Occlumency?

Lily noticed that just as she finished her thoughts, Harry's lips twitched once again. Was there something she was missing?

She noticed how each of Harry's strides were much longer than hers. He had long legs, like his father. Except, he walked with all the aristocratic elegance of his grandfather. There was fluidity, the lithe agility of a jaguar on the hunt for prey in his every movement.

As she walked hand in hand with her son, a fact with brought her an inordinate amount of elation, people kept bumping into her and at one point she nearly fell forward. It was quite unexpected for her, when Harry transferred her hand into his other and pulled her so that she was slightly in front of him. Suddenly his arm was around her waist and he drew her close.

Lily flushed crimson in her son's arms. She glanced at him and, for the first time, realized that she was staring directly eye-level with him. When he had departed on September first, he was shorter than her. "You've grown," she softly murmured. Fresh tears began to pool in her eyes. "Have I?" He hummed in amusement. "I hadn't noticed."

She craned her neck slightly when she felt his magic swell around them. She frowned as his impassive and emotionless mask was back in place and his eyes came to resemble sharpened steel.

The people parted and Lily wondered how Harry learned to control his magic so well. At his age, she was nowhere near as capable of controlling her magic so flawlessly. Not only that, but Harry was far more powerful than she was at his age. In fact, Lily had a sinking suspicion that Harry was more powerful than she was as of _now_.

There was so much she didn't know about her son that, even now when he seemed to accept her once more, it was actually physically painful. Four months ago, when Harry and Iris had departed for Hogwarts, Lily had quickly fallen into a spiral of misery. She couldn't believe just how far her estrangement with her son had gotten. It was why, even with his stiff and cold arms around her, she felt more happiness than she had in perhaps ten years.

Lily spied James's messy hair near the brick portal to King Cross Station but, before she could call out to him, someone place a hand on her shoulder.

"There you are! I've been looking for you for nearly half an hour."

Lily's mood immediately soured as she turned to greet Molly Weasely. Not that Lily did not like the Weasely family. They were some of the most understanding and compassionate families within their backwards society. And Molly was no exception. However, it was just that the portly woman tended to be a _tad_ bit overbearing.

"Molly," Lily said while plastering a smile onto her face. "How have you been?"

"Perfectly fine dear." The older red head said, returning Lily's smile. "How have you and James been? And what of Iris? You know you really should bring her over more often. I'm sure she and Ginny would get along amazingly. And Ron is in her year too so they'd all be perfect friends."

While Lily smiled outwardly, inwardly she was more than just frowning. _This _was the one thing she didn't like at all about Molly. As kind and caring she was, when it came to the future of her children, she was as conniving and ambitious as Salazar himself.

"Oh, we're all fine, thank you for asking. So what can I do for you?" She purposefully ignored ploy to get to Iris.

"Nothing at all my dear. I just wanted to let you know that you're invited for dinner at the Burrow on Yule. Dinner will be sharp at seven so don't be late." She smiled up at her.

Lily's irritation was only surpassed by her son's. She could practically feel how crossed he was just by the way his magic was slowly whirling around him. Like any mother, Lily instinctively reached out with her magic to calm him down. When she realized her mistake, her eyes widened and it was too late to stop her magic from coming into contact with Harry's.

However, much to her surprise and immense delight, instead off violently attacking, Harry's magic stilled and condensed. It didn't allow Lily's to merge with him, remaining impenetrable but, it placated immediately.

Lily quickly wiped her eyes as the tears began to spill forward. It was impossible for her to describe the utter paradise she felt as Harry remained by her side. She felt a tightness in her heart and smiled down at the ground.

"Lily dear, are you quite alright?" Molly asked in concern.

"I'm fine, just something in my eye." She hastily wiped her eyes and was surprised to find a handkerchief in her line of sight. She saw that Harry was holding it and, briefly, a light shined through her eyes as he took it and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek. She suppressed a giggle as a flash of annoyance passed through his eyes.

As she wiped away her tears, she heard Molly exclaim. "James! What happened to your glasses?"

This time Lily did laugh. While Harry did greatly resemble his father, there were a few features which he took straight from James's mother. It hurt a little to think about it but, Harry's only real visible genetic traits that he had inherited from her were her eyes. Aside from that, he was entirely from his father's gene pool.

"No Molly," Lily laughed. "This is my son Harry. James is off somewhere with Iris." Lily didn't realize just how much emphasis she put on the word 'my.' Her son did, and a momentary frown flitted across his features.

Molly looked genuinely shocked before her eyes gained a sudden calculating glint. "I see…well I'll be seeing you on Yule then."

"I'm sorry Molly," Lily said shaking her head. "But we will be spending the entire day with my parents.'

"Oh," the Weasely matriarch said. Her lips thinning as she gained a disapproving look on her face, which was quickly replaced by a smile. "Then I'll see you all on New Year's." Her merry voice was once again torn apart by Lily.

"Sorry Molly, but we'll be in France for the rest of the holidays."  
"France!" The portly red-head said scandalized before quickly demanding. "Whatever will you be doing there?"

"James's aunt lives in Marseilles. It's a sort of a Potter family reunion."

Molly did not look pleased one bit. Lily honestly got along with the woman but, her incessant need to dictate the lives around her was very inconvenient. She had no idea how Molly got it into her head that her youngest son and Iris would make the perfect couple. As the woman pursed her lips and then turned her gaze towards Harry. Lily felt incredibly uncomfortable and immediately moved in front of her son.

"You're eldest, then? And the future Lord Potter if I'm not mistaken?"

Lily's eyes narrowed. "My husband isn't planning on dying anytime soon, Molly." She said coldly.

Molly's eyes widened minutely before she smiled benignly and said, "Of course not dear. Merlin forbid anything should happen to James. It's just that- Ginny! Ginny! Come over here!"

A small girl, even younger than Iris, appeared right out of the crowd next to Molly. "You see," Molly said while pulling Ginny in front of her and placing her hands on her shoulder. "Ginny will be starting Hogwarts next year and she's worried she won't be able to keep up with the course work. She would greatly benefit from a tutor."

Lily's mouth went slightly agape at Molly's blatant attempt to play matchmaker.

"This is Lily Potter and her son Harry, Ginny. Say hello."

The youngest of the three red-heads took one look at Harry and she turned such deep shade of scarlet, her face was indistinguishable from her hair. A fact that bothered Lily tremendously.

The monster within her rose in full fury once more. Rage grasped her throat as she felt her mind start to smoke. Angry again, Lily was once more ready to tear into the females who had their sights set on her son. Not ten minutes ago she had finally managed to take a step towards _her_ son. She was _not _about allow any other woman to get near her baby.

On the verge of unleashing a scathing remark, Harry quickly took control of the entire scenario with one word.

"No."

They all stared at him confused, Molly most of all. "I'm sorry?" she said as if she misheard.

"I said no." Venomous and laced with iron, Harry's voice shattered any sense of polite conversation. "I have my own sister to babysit. I have no time for _this _when she has four other siblings in Hogwarts to deal with her."

The way he said 'deal' made it seem as if Ginny was something unpleasant to handle. And it was apparent that Molly had come to the same conclusion as she bristled and visibly angered.

"Now see here young man! I will not be-"

Molly's angry rant was cut short as a gust of wind broke through the train station and the air thickened considerably. An intense pressure fell upon Lily and she quickly found it difficult to breathe. Magic was radiating from Harry in massive bursts. Dark, intoxicating magic that caused Lily's eyes to droop half-lidded as her son's magic crawled over her. Eliciting sparks of static across her skin and making her mouth go dry.

If she wasn't so busy absorbed within her son's magic, she would have noticed that several people were transfixed and bewitched by the sheer presence of her eldest child. Various heads were turned as Lily clutched onto Harry and immersed herself in his being.

And, as sudden as it was there, Harry's magic departed and his lips parted. "You were saying?" He hissed in distaste.

As Molly opened and closed her mouth several times, Harry said in the most commanding voice. "We are going home."

Lily didn't bother saying anything as those words alone made her feel complete in a way she hadn't felt since Iris was born. Home.

Home to her wonderful husband.

Home to her beloved daughter.

Home to her exhilarating son.

She was so engrossed with her sudden happiness, Lily did not hear her son as he muttered, "A visor for a visor."

* * *

**Author's Note: Yeah, I know how it reads with Lily...and the answer is no. Just be patient will ya? If I can do this with a strictly platonic relationship imagine what I can do once Harry gets into it with Daphne, Fleur or Narcissa? **

**And yes! Jyggalag's master plan has been revealed...or has it?**

**I actually had a lot of fun with this one and for those of you who think Harry was _too _ooc with Lily, Google that last quote. For those of you who got it; kudos! **

**NEX'S CHALLANGE!**

**Im a HUGE MEGADETH fan. First person to find the song I quoted in this chapter and tell me what it is will get to name a recurring character within the story! **

**Hope You Enjoyed and remember to leave your critique!**

**CE-NEX**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I was busy with midterms and other things. **

**Hope You Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Blow Me Away**

Albus Dumbledore was _not _having a good day.

His Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who he heavily suspected of being an agent of Voldemort, was missing. The Ministry was holding the official debriefing and hearing of the Halloween incident within a few days and, worst of all, the legendary Philosopher's Stone was missing.

Not a good day at all.

He was currently sitting in his office awaiting Severus to return from his investigations. How could he let such a thing happen? Why did all of his safe guards fail? None of the numerous wards that he had placed around the entrance to the corridor had alerted him to an intruder. And the most grievous insult? The Mirror of Erised was missing!

He was counting on the fact that Voldemort would be distracted by the mirror. Tom had always been ruled by his passions and the mirror would have served to frustrate him to great lengths as he would be denied the very thing he was viewing.

'_The sheer criminal genius! To steal the entire bloody mirror!'_

How severely he had underestimated the depravity of Tom's mind! Now, Voldemort's return was inevitable and he wouldn't be surprised if Severus reported the Dark Mark was returned to full regalia by the end of the week. The difficult thing, however, would be convincing the Ministry of the Dark Lord's return. Cornelius, was a very obtuse individual who did not perform well under pressure. The current administration would deny any claims of Voldemort's return until it would prove far too late.

He could simply come out and state that Voldemort was now in possession of the Philosopher's Stone but, that would be admitting his magnificent blunder to the entirety of the world. He could not have that as his reputation would be severely tarnished and he needed to have every advantage possible when war finally broke out.

Actually, it might not matter because when Nicholas would come calling for his greatest creation, he would end up having to tell him that it was no longer in his possession. Dumbledore would never tell him that the Stone was stolen, oh Heavens no! The fall out would be cataclysmic. Perhaps he would simply tell the ancient sorcerer that it was destroyed in an attempted theft?

There was a knock on the door and Dumbledore pressed the stress away and donned his calm and collected manner. "Come in Severus."

As his Potion's Master swept, Albus held a momentary frown as the look on the younger man's face was hardly one of being pleased. "Well Severus? What did you discover?"

The dark robed man stooped into the chair opposite of him, he growled out, "Not a damn useful thing."

There was a pause before the Headmaster spoke. "I see."

"There is a great deal of magic saturating the air Albus," Severus sighed tiredly. "However, it's impossible for me to trace as it's all melded together somehow."

Dumbledore's expression grimed as their only possible lead vanished. "And our dead body?"

Severus scoffed in mirthless humor. "You mean our dried up husk? I'm fairly certain it's Quirrel's corpse."

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot into, relatively thin, hairline. "How can you be sure? Has Tom already been resurrected? Disposing of his servant the moment he was no longer useful certainly seems to be his style."

In response, Severus rolled up his sleeve. Barely visible, the thin outline of a skull and snake was pressed onto his pale skin.

Dumbledore's mouth twisted in displeasure at the sight. The condition of the mark revealed Voldemort still hadn't risen to his former power. To him, it meant that the scorched shell was not Quirrel. Apparently having gleamed his thoughts, Severus shook his head. "I have no doubt that it _is _Quirrel lying down there."'

"How can you be so sure?" Dumbledore asked inquisitively. "Who else could it have been?"

The younger wizard shrugged. "It has to be Quirrel. There's no one else who is unaccounted for. My guess is that the Dark Lord had another servant. Along with Quirrel, this other servant assisted in the theft of the stone and, as soon as it was in their possession, the Dark Lord ordered Quirrel's death. Tying up loose ends."

Dumbledore's frown became heavier. Severus's theory fit and it certainly fell into the behavior Tom had displayed over the decades.

"There is," Severus started hesitantly. "Another possibility…unlikely though infinitely more frightening."

Dumbledore placed his elbows on his desk and leaned forward. "Oh? Do tell."

Choosing his words carefully, the Potion's Master said, "Someone else…someone not associated with the Dark Lord was down there. Someone who killed Quirrel and took the Stone for themselves."

Dumbledore stared at his adept spy in utter bewilderment. "You are right, Severus." He finally said after several moments of silence. "That is far more terrifying."

The two wizards sat in silent contemplation and, eventually, Albus looked at Severus curiously and asked. "If the body is truly Quirinus, how did he die I wonder?"

Severus grimaced. "He was electrocuted to death."

Dumbledore gave him a look of disbelief. "My dear boy, while I have no doubt in my mind that Voldemort in his prime could have accomplished such a feat, the amount of magical power necessary to generate such energy to reduce a human body to such a state is well beyond most witches and wizards."

"Nevertheless, Albus, the body was charred by raw electricity. You can't even touch the blasted charcoal without getting a jolt."

Albus leaned back into his chair. "That is…disconcerting."

"Yes, do you have any other understatements to make or may I leave? Oh...you're paying me overtime for working on vacation, by the way."

Dumbledore chuckled lightheartedly. "No no, you may leave Severus. Have a good day."

As Severus reached out to open the door, a knock was heard from the other side. "Yes, come in Minerva." The door opened to reveal his rather nervous looking deputy. "You have a guest, Albus."

She quickly stepped aside to expose a tall young man with wild blond hair and the most startling sky blue eyes. He strode into the room with a brilliant smile and looked about the room. Immediately, Severus backed up several steps and bowed at the waist. "Master Flamel, it's an honor to meet you again."

The fabled alchemist looked surprised for a moment before his lips split into a wide smile. "Severus, my lad! How have you been?"

"Quite well, sir."

"Good, good," He hummed. "Ah, thank you Minerva, you may leave."

Then, turning back towards the Potion's Master, he said, "I read that essay you published, what was it? Two months ago? Fantastic work on the nature of ambient human magic and its effects on potions!"

"Nicholas!" Dumbledore had shot out of his chair the moment his old teacher had walked in his office and smiled benignly. "What a pleasant surprise!" Truthfully, it wasn't very pleasant at all. In fact, Nicholas couldn't have timed his sudden arrival at a worse moment.

"Hmm?" Nicholas seemed to have noticed his apprentice for the first time and quickly dismissed him. "Ah, yes…Albus. Stay put for a moment will you, there's a good child."

His smile grew heavily strained. It only became worse with Severus's poorly veiled attempt to hide his laughter. "Now where were we?" The over energetic alchemist said. "Ah yes! You know Severus, I long ago realized that each person's individual magic had specific results on our more esoteric magical arts. I'm so glad that _finally_ someone decided to openly study this field."

For the first time since Voldemort's defeat, Dumbledore saw a genuine smile on Severus's face. "Yes, after years of watching inept students blunder through potions, I realized that there's a certain quality one needs to develop for each branch of magic. Shame the dunderheads I'm forced to teach can't dedicate the time needed to develop these qualities."

Dumbledore was horrified that Severus would speak so openly of his disdain for his pupils in front of an outsider. However, before he could run damage control, Nicholas began to laugh loudly. "Oh I completely sympathize with you! You should have seen Albus's first attempts at alchemy! The young lout produced some of the shabbiest and botched pieces of work I've had the misfortune to witness!"

Severus looked as if he'd been told he no longer had to interact with studens.

Dumbledore, on the other hand, was quickly getting annoyed at being ignored and attempted to cut in. "Nicholas, I don't think-"

"Oh, hush Albus." Nicholas waved facetiously while not even bothering to glance in his direction. "Can't you see that the adults are talking? Be a good boy and have a seat."

Severus actually fell against the wall for support as Dumbledore's mouth was left gaping at the rude dismissal. Not knowing how to handle his old teacher, Dumbledore simply chose to sit back down. "P-perhaps," Severus choked out. "Perhaps you and the Headmaster should have your chat. We could continue our discussion later, if you'd be inclined to?"

"Quite right. Have a good day Severus."

"You as well, Master Flamel."

As his Potions Master left, Dumbledore finally smiled up at Nicholas Flamel however, his smile slowly dimmed as Nicholas glared at him disapprovingly. "Hmph!" Nicholas scoffed while taking his seat. "Back in my day, children used to respectfully get up for their elders rather than sit around! They get worse and worse every generation." He mumbled to himself.

"But-but…" Dumbledore began to protest weakly. "Nicholas you _told_-"

However, he was once again, cut off by the olden wizard. "Fawkes old chap! How _have _you been!?"

The scarlet phoenix let out a happy trill before softly gliding over to Nicholas and settling on his shoulder. "Still hanging around my bore of an apprentice, eh?"

Fawkes let out another high note which suspiciously sounded like a laugh to Dumbledore. "Would you like a lemon drop, Nicholas?" He asked, hoping to finally garner the alchemist's attention.

"Hmm? Don't mind if I do."

And, to Dumbledore's immense horror, Nicholas grabbed the entire bowl and placed it in his lap. Dumbledore could only watch helplessly as his favorite sweets sat out of reach and, every so often, found themselves in Nicholas mouth.

Through strained smile and gritted teeth, Dumbledore finally asked, "What can I do for you, Nicholas?"

'_So that I may finally be rid of you.' _

Nicholas took one of the yellow beans and tossed it into Fawkes's open beak. "Oh nothing at all Albus. I just wanted my Stone back as I've wrapped up all that fussy business of interior redecorating."

Dumbledore gulped audibly as this was the very thing he had been dreading since Nicholas walked in not five minutes ago. He immediately fell into genuine remorse as he had lost Nicholas's prized creation. And that would mean the eventual death of one of the greatest individuals in the history of Magic. Despite his demeanor, Nicholas was one of the greatest forces of good in their world. His loss would be a grave blow to the Light.

"Forgive me Nicholas," Dumbledore said as his eyes were downcast. "But in a recently attempted theft, the Stone was destroyed. I cannot convey how sorry I am."

Dumbledore kept his eyes glued to the desk, waiting for the apocalyptic rage of the great man who sat before him. And waited. After a near full minute, Dumbledore raised his gaze to find that Nicholas was silently chuckling to himself while his eyes were twinkling in a way that put _him _to shame.

"Oh that's quite all right Albus. It was a forgery in the first place." Nicholas smiled.

"…"

'_Wait…what!?'_

"A-a…_forgery_!?"

Nicholas seemed to ignore Dumbledore's sudden raised voice and threw another Lemon Drop into an eager Fawkes open beak. "You honestly didn't think I'd give you the real one, did you? Really Albus, after six centuries of people trying to steal my creation you think I'm stupid enough to place it in a school filled with children?"

Wanting to get angry and rave at his former teacher, Dumbledore only deflated. He couldn't muster the energy to make any form of argument. Months of plotting and planning all proven to be futile and the stress culminated in vain.

"Giving you a stone was, admittedly, an excellent way of deterring would be thieves. So thank you for your contribution, unwitting that it was."

Dumbledore could only find one word to sum up the derailed thoughts in his head, "_Why?" _

"Albus," Nicholas sighed, though his eyes seemed to twinkle madly. "It was for the Greater Good."

Dumbledore choked.

* * *

In a small corner of the massive Potter family library, Iris sat snugly on a sofa while she jotted down answers to her potions assignment. Professor Snape had given them several sheets of papers filled with questions that had to be answered completely and correctly. It would take her hours to finish. And then she could start on her transfiguration essay.

It was going to be one of _those _days…

Luckily, she had an awesome older brother to help her out with all of her troubles. Speaking of said older brother…Iris peeked over her textbook to where her brother sat on the opposite sofa. She still couldn't believe that she was looking at her brother even though a full hour had passed since she joined him in the library.

'_It's just that…he looks…he looks…_so different_!'_

Rather than dark robes that hung off his broad shoulders and shrouded his frame, Harry was dressed in simple jeans and a black V-neck T-shirt that neatly fit. His wave of onyx hair wasn't calmly swept back as it usually was and, instead, strands of ebony locks flitted across the side of his face and down his eyes.

Never once in her life, could Iris remember her brother looking so utterly _casual. _Harry always carried himself with power and elegance no matter where he went. She loved how her brother seemed to command the respect of everyone around him without even uttering a single word. Dangerous, calculating and seemingly ready to explode at any minute, Harry was majestic in every movement.

Seeing him so relaxed was entirely at odds with the image she had built up over the last semester.

Suddenly, Iris had to stifle a laugh as an image of a tiger hit her mind.

A massive six-hundred pound killing machine that graced its way through territory that it claimed. Refined, smooth and entirely sure of its power. That was her brother's Modus operandi. And when the king returned home to his lair…Iris stifled another giggle.

He lazed around licking his paws.

"Concentrate on your work, Iris."

Her gaze immediately flicked to the other sofa and Iris childishly stuck her tongue out at him. Harry hadn't even looked up from the small red book that he was reading from but he still chided her. There were times, where Harry wouldn't be looking at her and he still managed to reprimand her for something entirely out of his line of sight. She often wondered, at times like these, if Harry was a mind reader or something.

Iris looked up at her brother once more just in time to see his lips twitch. Her eyes narrowed because, for someone like Harry, the smallest shift in facial muscle was tantamount to outright yelling and screaming. Eyes filled with suspicion, her gaze raked over him and his outline.

Leaned up against of the arm of the sofa, he held up a book in one hand and gently held the fingers of his other hand over his mouth. Every so often or so, those fingers would dip down and flip a page, revealing thin lips pressed into a soft line.

'_Seriously? Why is he _not_ a model?'_

Homework completely forgotten, the female impetus within her mind began mentally swapping Harry's current clothes for something more fashionable. Deciding what looked best on him and how certain colors really brought out his eyes, Iris resolved to one day take Harry shopping. She then began to have Harry, the one in her mind that is, stand in different poses and place various faces on his expression.

The last part was proving frustratingly difficult as the spectrum of Harry's facial expressions ranged from, 'You're beneath therefore annoying' to 'The world is beneath me therefore boring'. Iris then recalled the first train ride to Hogwarts and when she had shared the bond between their respective wands. That slight smile that Harry had given her and the way his eyes momentarily shone with warmth.

As the smiling Harry replaced the one in her mind, Iris's face gradually began to heat. Slowly but surely, 'smiling' Harry began showing more and more skin in his ever changing outfits. And when she finally reached the swimsuit edition of "Monthly Harry", Iris went a beat red.

A silly smile stretched its way onto her face as she slowly imagined herself and Harry playing in the beach and him tossing her around in the water. Her delusion didn't last as the temperature in reality began to plummet.

Looking at the real Harry, Iris felt the hairs on her arm rise as her brother's eyes darkened and flashed in annoyance. Apparently her distracted sate was painfully obvious and Iris had to swallow a lump caught in her throat as she remembered that tigers lick their paws to get rid of all the caked blood and gore.

Iris readied herself for a verbal lashing from Harry, honestly her brother could put Snape of McGonagall to shame the way he went at it sometimes, as Harry's lips parted. However, before any sound could come out, Harry stiffened and his eyes narrowed and darted to the side.

After a second of him staring off to side, Harry composed himself and returned his attention the little red book. _'What was that all about?' _Glancing back down at her homework, she frowned as the next question made no sense to her.

"Hey Harry, how can mourning-dew have three different effects on the same potion?"

"Page forty-six," was his laconic reply.

Used to having her brother answer in this manner, she swiftly turned the pages of her text book and scanned over the printed words of the appropriate page. Finding the answer, she picked up her parchment and was about to write but stopped as a voice called out to her.

"Iris, so you were here too."

She immediately looked up.

Iris was surprised as she was not expecting to see her mother during her study session with Harry. "Mum, what are you doing here?"

Her mother smiled at her gently. "Sweetie I live here too, remember?"

Iris crossed her arms and gave her mother an annoyed look. She didn't like how her parents treated her like she was a child. The bemused expression on her mother's face clearly said, 'You _are _a child.'

"I know that mum," Iris rolled her eyes. "_Why _are you in the _library_?"

Her mother gave a small chuckle. "I just came to check up…on…your…brother."

Iris followed her mother's gaze as her words began falter.

'_Whoa…'_

It seemed the tiger was done licking his paws and was on the prowl again. Harry's face was completely blank and void of any emotion. His eyes were hollow and he seemed to be piling on the ice in them

It was times like these that Iris marveled at her brother's capacity to suddenly shift in demeanor. Harry was always different when it came to other people. While he treated those close to him, or relatively close, with a casual indifference; with complete strangers, there always seemed to be a veiled hostility.

Her mother opened her mouth but no sound came out and she promptly closed it.

Harry never let up his relentless assault and continued to give their mother a dead and flat look. "I-I was just wondering if you were okay…I felt that you were distressed and I…" She trailed off and bit her lip as her hands clenched into the fabric of her skirt.

Iris was entirely lost as to what was going on.

There was obviously something happening between Harry and their mother as she was continuously gazing at him with such incredible sadness. She tore her eyes away from her mother who had a pained expression on her face and looked at her older brother. While she may not have been particularly close to her brother before, she was sure there was some story that explained as to why he was so distant from…_everyone._

As both daughter and mother looked at Harry with such naked and exposed emotion, he shut his eyes and silently inhaled. Iris was left amazed as how the tension between her brother and mother seemed to melt away. As Harry opened his eyes, Iris's jaw nearly fell open at the entire one-eighty his expression seemed to go through.

Emerald facets shifting shades, Harry carefully said, "It was momentary. I am fine, I assure you."

The pain in her mother's expression lessened considerably and a soft smile replaced the trembling lips. "You've been cooped in here for hours…w-would you like a snack or something to drink?"

Iris blinked.

Repeatedly.

There was something _seriously _wrong between her mother and older brother. If there was one thing Iris knew about their mother, it was that Lily Potter was _not _a shy woman. So why was her mother being so skittish and anxious?

One way or another, Iris swore she would one day figure out her brother.

* * *

Lily had immediately felt Harry's magic flare up in irritation and reflexively she had reached out to him with her own magic despite being on the other side of the manor. However, her son's magic remained as resolute as ever and blocked any attempts of communication. Knowing that he was in the library, she willed her magic to carry her to the wing of the manor that held her son and apparated.

When they had finally returned from King's Cross Station, she had filled her head with dreams and desires of bonding with her estranged son and spending time with him. Yet, it all remained in her head as Harry had proceeded to barricade himself within the family library upon his return. For three days, on whatever concoctions he had brought back with him from Hogwarts, he had confined himself among the family collection.

Following the threads of magic, Lily navigated the maze of bookshelves and found herself in a desolate corner of the extensive archives. She was immediately alerted to her son by the sound of his voice. "Page forty-six."

Tracing the sound, she instantaneously found Harry reclining on a large sofa that could easily seat three very healthy people.

Lily couldn't help but stare.

The sight of Harry lounging and being so at ease caused her heart to flutter. There was no trace of the commandeering presence that captivated her nor any recognition of the shadowed danger that seemed to always hang in the air around him.

She had never seen her son looking so utterly…_human._

Calm, pacified and collected, Harry oozed normalcy and casualness in a way that was common for indifferent teenagers as he kept his eyes on the book he was holding. The shuffling of pages quickly caught her attention and Lily shifted her sight towards the opposite seat. She was incredibly surprised to find Iris busy skimming over a textbook with numerous papers lying on the glass table in front of her. Surprising herself, Lily's mouth blurted out a question. ""Iris, so you were here too."

Her daughter instantly looked up and Lily had to suppress a smile as she remembered how she used to have the same look of surprise when she was younger. Iris, ever the inquisitive blabber mouth, shot off a question. "Mum, what are you doing here?"

Lily smiled gently as she fell into the routine she and James had of teasing Iris as childishly as possible. "Sweetie I live here too, remember?"

Immediately Iris rolled her eyes and Lily was forced to suppress a small laugh behind her hand. Iris absolutely hated being teased, especially when she was denied something she wanted to know. Her expression clearly read as, 'stop treating me like a little kid,'

"I know that mum, _why_ are you in the_ library_?"

"I just came to checkup," Lily's words faltered as she returned her attention to her son and caught sight of his expression. "…on…your…brother."

The languid Harry was gone, replaced by a cold deadly serpent, coiled and ready to strike. His eyes were hidden by glacial resolve and his face could have been made of carved ice. Lily's insides twisted at the palpable façade Harry presented in her presence.

"I-I was just wondering if you were okay…I felt that you were distressed and I…" Her voice was caught in her throat and she was forced to bite her lips in order to contain the sob that threatened to wrack her body. She clenched her hands painfully into her skirt as Harry's eyes bore into hers.

His sight never wavered and he seemed to be studying her. Probing for weakness, a sign of what she wanted or the opening needed to lash out. She didn't know which, just that she wanted to do nothing more to embrace him and that he was pushing her back.

Her magic twisted itself into knots as she tried to press herself into him but he remained a resolute wall of metal and ice. Every particle of magic carried her desire to love and cherish him more than anything but all she received in turn was the blackness of his apathy.

As their gazes intensified, Lily opened up her heart and the floodgates were undone as every emotion seeped into her essence. All the shadowed sorrow, all the twisted regret and every bit of broken love gushed out to her son.

Carefully, Lily saw Harry's eyes close and, though it was barely noticeable, he deeply inhaled and Lily felt his power recede into him. The heavy aura of frigid energy returned to its progenitor and carefully wrapped around him in a thin cocoon.

Lily felt her breath hitch as Harry re-opened his eyes to reveal that his frozen glare was replaced with gleaming emeralds. His entire demeanor shifted into a careful predator from the openly hostile one. As cool shades of green dappled across his eyes, he said, "It was momentary. I am fine, I assure you."

A dark resonance, his voice reverberated throughout her and evoked a tingling sensation down her spine and arms. Gaining small courage, she smiled softly at him and steadied her shaky voice. . "You've been cooped in here for hours…w-would you like a snack or something to drink?"

Lily winced inwardly.

Her voice came out so small and weak that she probably gave the image of a school girl talking to her long time crush.

That thought stopped her clean from further questions as she realized the severity of what had just ran through her mind. Harry was her _son. _There was no possible way, in any realm of possibility, for her to draw parallel between her relationship with Harry and that of any romantic interest. She would have slapped herself to break away from such a though had she not been in front of her children.

"Oh come on mum!" Iris exclaimed causing Lily to frown. "You can't just take Harry away like that! I need his help with my homework!"

Sighing at Iris's immaturity, Lily threw her a quick smile and said, "Sweetheart, your brother has been cooped up in the library for days. Give him a chance to breathe some fresh air."

"But if he isn't in the library then he's locked up in his room. I won't be able to get his help for the rest of the break then!"

Lily shook her head and smiled indulgently, "Iris, you have a week and a half left to do your homework. It's not like your brother is going to just up and disappear."

She barely caught Harry's expression twist slightly.

"_Mum_," Iris whined. "I'm going to be busy for the rest of break! I told you that I'm spending a few days with Hannah and Susan before we leave for France!"

"Harry can help you in France then," Lily rationalized.

"But I don't want to ruin his vacation!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "_I'll _help you then."

"I don't wanna ruin _my_ vacation."

Lily pinched the bridge of her nose. "Iris you're being unreason-" However, before Lily could finish her sentence, Iris cut her off with a rather rude remark. "Besides, you haven't been to Hogwarts in _ages_. You probably can't even _remember_ what you did in your first year."

Lily's brow twitched. While normally she and Iris always had banter that structured around taking jabs at each other's ages, being called old in front of Harry irked her greatly for some reason.

Before she could reply and continue their argument, Harry swiftly cut in by standing up and drawing attention. "Let's get something to eat Iris."

"Sure!" Her daughter immediately chirped.

Lily's mouth opened slightly in shock before she smiled in exasperation and shook her head. As Harry swept past her in a manner that reminded her of Severus, Iris quickly dashed from her spot, leaving all of her books and parchments in a mess, to her brother's side.

Giving a quick flick of her wand and sending all of Iris's belongings to her bedroom, she hurriedly turned around and walked briskly to catch up with her children. A sense of rightness settled over her as she witnessed Iris's animated chatter being balanced with Harry's laconic articulation.

Half way to the kitchens, Lily stood slightly behind Harry with a prominent frown on her brow.

Her gaze was blatantly locked upon Iris's hand which had grasped Harry's much larger one. A flicker of unpleasant emotion which Lily did not recognize passed through at the sight and she contemplated grasping Harry's other hand. However, the moment she tentatively reached out to grab his appendage, it deftly deposited itself within the confines of his pocket.

Lily scowled as an irrational part of her wanted to get in between Iris and Harry. She told herself that she simply wanted her children on either side of her but a darker part of her heart whispered something far more treacherous.

The moment the three of them had entered the kitchen, they were beset with three diminutive forms with a very bad grasp of English grammar and phonetics.

Lily smiled kindly at the Potter family house elves and politely asked if they could have something light to eat. One them, who Lily recognized as Fozzie, asked, "What is Young Master and Mistresses be wanting?"

Smiling down at the elf, Lily said, "Just a cup of tea, thank you."

"Is there any of those scones left?" Iris asked excitedly.  
"We be having plenty Missy Iris. Should Mansy warm some up?"

"Yes, thank you Mansy," Iris said eagerly.

Lily joined Harry at the table and sat opposite of him while Iris began to chat with one of the elves. It was only a second later that Lily realized that Harry hadn't asked for anything. As she opened her mouth to ask if he was feeling well, Fozzie appeared next to Harry and snapped his fingers.

An empty plate appeared in front of her son with a fork and knife carefully wrapped in a napkin beside it. Harry unfurled the napkin, placed it gingerly on his lap and held both fork and knife in anticipation. Fozzie snapped his fingers once more and a steaming…pastry…filled the plate.

It looked like an inverted muffin, glazed over with a hole in the middle and a hefty amount of white frosting on top. Lily took one look at the sugary monstrosity and her maternal instincts kicked in as well as the need to put her foot down. She was _not _about to allow her son to ingest such a massive amount of sugar in one sitting. Scowling heavily, she reached over to yank Harry's plate away but an urgent tugging of her blouse stopped her.

She glanced to the side and saw Fozzie giving her a very apprehensive look. "Mistress _must not deny_ the sweet roll." The small elf whispered with his eyes wide in unease. "Master Harry be _veeery _grouchy if you do."

Lily's mouth opened and closed several times before she managed to override her motherly desires and curb Harry's sweet tooth. However, knowing how her son tended to get very defensive, she decided to not push him too far for now as him getting angry would only serve to be detrimental to her efforts to get closer to him.

Instead, she settled for watching him carefully as he ate. As she was served her cup of tea, she observed Harry meticulously cut into the 'sweet roll' as it was called. The knife slipped right through baked dough and let out a low hiss of steam. Looking on as he made an identical incision, Lily marveled at Harry's strong, ivory fingers that held his ornate silverware with remarkable elegance.

The fork gently pressed into the soft and bouncy bread, lifting it to her son's thinly carved lips. Their eyes met, and Lily felt a hotness in her as Harry's emeralds smoldered in jade heat from under his heavy black lashes.

His lips twisted in a feral manner and parted with a painstaking slowness, revealing immaculate incisors and even canines. She could feel her blood pounding in her ears as Harry's tongue snaked out, testing the steaming piece of sweetness for elevated temperatures. Giving it the slightest of licks, Harry pressed the entire piece into his mouth. Lily sat transfixed as she watched her son's mouth move. Toned muscle and sinew, shifted and constricted across his neck and angled jaw.

His stopped masticating and went completely still for a second. Then, his neck strained and she saw his jaw hinge slightly and she knew the sugary delight covered in white frosting had slid down his throat.

"Oh wow, Harry!"

Lily jolted in her seat as she felt herself ejected back into reality and looked around startled. She saw Iris gazing admiringly at Harry's palate and its contents. "What is that?! Can I try some?"

Harry's eyes were still locked with Lily's as his face slowly turned towards Iris. "Sure," he said while cutting another piece, picking it up and holding it for Iris. However, instead of taking it from Harry. Iris dipped her mouth down and fed herself from her brother's hand.

Lily's eyes went wide and she felt that dark and unpleasant feeling flare within herself for a second time. Once again, she could not place the disagreeable sensation that had sprouted in face of her daughter's interactions with her son. As Iris hummed in pleasure and softly chewed, Lily quickly took a sip of her tea in order to lessen the sudden dryness in her mouth.

Iris returned her attention to her plate of scones and the three of them sat in silence for another five minutes. The quiet bustling of the house elves, as they prepared dinner, faded into the background and Lily refused to look up at her son seeing as how every time she did, her insides seemed to curl painfully.

"So Harry," the broken silence caused Lily to promptly raise her sight from the empty tea cup. "There's this muggle fair going on in the local town. Wanna go…I mean… if you want to?"

Harry appraised his younger sister with a curious look and before he could saw anything, Lily blurted out her opposition to her son being anywhere where she couldn't hold him. "He can't!"

Both her children looked at her as her face turned to a mixture of surprise and embarrassment at her outburst. Harry simply quirked an eyebrow, while her daughter gazed at her slightly upset.

"Why not?!" Iris challenged.

Racking her brain and trying to find a suitable excuse to satisfy her sudden proclamation, Lily said, "I need Harry's help because…I'm going shopping and I need him to help carry the bags."

Iris looked at her with disbelief clearly written on her face and Harry had something akin to amusement shine in his eyes. "But you're a witch!" Iris protested. "You can just _spell_ all your bags away!"

Lily knew better than to stammer through an answer so she slowly composed her next words. "I'm going to muggle London and I don't want to risk using magic in the open."

"Take daddy with you!" demanded Iris.

"Your father is busy with work," Lily shot back.

"You can go shopping whenever! The fair won't last forever! Mum, this a chance for me to hang out with Harry since we've never done anything together outside of Hogwarts."

That, was precisely the problem for Lily. _She _wanted to be the one to spend some alone time with Harry. A horrid feeling arose within her when she remembered all the times where she did _not _have Harry in her arms. That is to say, the entirety of the last ten years.

She was _not _about to lose Harry to anyone else ever again. Not even...her own daughter.

"Sweetie, you can go some other time." Lily pressed while her lips thinned into a line.

Iris threw her hands into the air in exasperation. "Didn't you hear me mum!? I won't have time for it later!"

"Then choose between your brother or your friends."

Iris looked like she'd been smacked. It was a cruel thing for Lily to say and she knew it. Yet, she _would not give up her son_.

"Actually," Harry's voice carried over the mother daughter argument. "I promised Daphne I'd go to Diagon Alley with her today."

All hell broke loose.

* * *

**Author's Note: Aren't I a wonderful tease? **

**Stay tuned for the next chapter because we get into a direct confrontation between Harry and his parents. Not to mention a good chunk of Daphne/Harry moments as the Princes step up their game. **

**Hope You Enjoyed!**

**CE-NEX**

**P.S: Be thankful I didn't have the time because I was planning on uploading a dummy chapter.**

**Happy April Fools Day kiddies!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay but I'm busy studying and getting ready for exams. Med-School exams..._not _fun.**

**I said previously that there would be Harry and Daphne moments but due to time constraints I was forced to cut this chapter short. Also, because of the brief stints of writing, this chapter may be riddled with mistakes. I'd appreciate it if you'd point them out so i can go back and edit it when I have the time.**

**It might be a while for my next update, again I apologize.**

**Hope You Enjoy**

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Cruelty Called Love  
**

He'd been expecting a warm welcome home after leaving a grueling day at the Auror's Office. Amelia had been particularly vicious in her usual brand of slave driving today. So it was rather off putting when, after being directed by one of the house elves to the kitchen, he was met with a rather heated argument between his wife and daughter.

Even more off putting was, just as he passed through the kitchen threshold, the wince that resulted from having his ears assailed by the simultaneous shrieks of the two.

"What!" "What!"

Both of the Potter girls let lose a high pitched vocal assault and James was caught between the whether he should enter the kitchen and find out what set off Lily and Iris or act on thousands of years of evolutionary instinct and hightail it.

In James's experience, angry women plus kitchen equals sleeping on the sofa for a week.

However, curiosity, heavily tempered with a healthy dose of self-preservation, persuaded James to take a step back and subtly observe the spat from behind the safety of the door.

Quickly taking a sweep of the kitchen with his eyes, his gaze settled on the dining table seating three figures. Both his eyebrows went into his hair as he beheld his wife and daughter staring with abject horror at his son. Upon witnessing this, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Infinite relief surged forward upon realizing that their combined ire was directed at someone other than him.

"A-Absolutely not!" Lily yelled in a slightly shaky voice.

James blinked in confusion. It was rare for Lily to get so visibly upset with their children. Whatever Harry said or done, must have been of significant consequence or else Lily wouldn't have bothered to look so worried. Actually, now that he thought about it, he couldn't _ever_ remembering Lily being upset with their son. A momentary frown crossed James's face.

For that matter, _he _couldn't ever remember being cross with Harry. In fact…he could barely remember anything that had to do with Harry.

His frown grew deeper.

For what seemed to be the first time in his life, James Potter took a good look at his son. Eyes raking over his son's features, a small smile drifted to his lips. If Harry were a few years older, people could easily take the two of them as brothers. He seemed to be a perfect blend of James's own parents. The more prominent features of the Potter family on his jaw and nose were tempered by the angular sharpness of the Blacks.

A wave of fatherly affection washed over James as he saw his son quirk a questioning eyebrow at his mother. Iris added in her own two cents of the argument. "Y-Yeah Harry! You can't go to Diagon without me! It's not fair!"

That's it? _That's _what they were arguing about? What's wrong with letting the kid go out and having a little fun? James found nothing wrong with Ha-

'_Whoa…what in the name of Merlin is _that!?_'_

James's eyes were fixated on the space directly in front of his teenage son.

It was the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The sheer firmness of curves, the soft golden tan that was magnified by the magnificent white top and the inviting and enticing bounce made with every movement.

James was in love all over again.

A love that ended about two seconds later as it found itself within Harry's mouth.

James blinked away the daze as he refocused on his family…what was he thinking about again?

"I absolutely forbid you from leaving!" His wife half pleaded/yelled as her eyes filled with hysteria.

'_Oh yeah…'_

"You're supposed to be spending time with your family on Yule vacation!" James thought it was absolutely adorable the way Iris pouted at her brother and placed her hands on her hips. He nearly dissolved into a puddle of goo when her eyes shifted to the side and a small flush ascended her cheeks. "Not spend it with your g-girlfriend!"

There was a horrible moment of silence that resulted in James gaining a Cheshire grin, Iris going completely red at her brother's glare and Lily's face turning a deadly shade of pale.

James practically teleported in front of his son, entirely ignoring his wife's horrified whisper of, "Girlfriend?"

"Harry you little sneak!" James laughed out as he took a seat across from his son. "You've been holding out on your old man! So? What's her name? What's she like? How far have you gotten?"

The sudden surprise on Harry's face quickly reverted to his usual persona of cool indifference, not that James had caught it. He was far too consumed with imagining his son and a pretty girl on his arm. "Daddy? When did you get home?"

James turned in his chair and flashed a brilliant smile towards his daughter. "Just now princess. So what's this about Harry having a girlfriend?"

Beside him, his wife weakly repeated, 'girlfriend,' but he chose to ignore it. Harry's face soured slightly and he returned to glaring at Iris. The young girl went red with mortification and quickly swept several stands of hair over her face to make a veil of crimson silk to hide behind.

"H-her names Daphne Greengrass," Iris stammered out. She shyly turned to catch the expression on her brother's face and let out an 'eep' before quickly turning back around. On a scale of one to ten, James estimated Harry's glare was approaching Basilisk.

"Greengrass, Greengrass," James tapped his chin contemplating why the name sounded familiar. He was then reminded of the morning of Iris's first departure to Hogwarts. Delicate doll-like features, stunning azure eyes and a cascade of blond waves sprung into his mind.

The smile on James's face threatened to rip his cheeks apart.

"Harry you _dog!_" He exclaimed, practically jumping up and down in his chair. "Way to go kid! That's one _hell _of a catch."

"No no no _no!_" Lily slammed her palms onto the table. "He's too _young _James! He can't have a girlfriend at his age!"

James looked at his wife with a frown. "Love, you're being a tad bit unreasonable. He's not exactly a baby anymore."

Lily slammed her fist onto the wooden surface. "He's _my _baby!" The fire in her eyes unnerved James slightly and he was quick to appease her with practiced ease. "Yes, of course he is darling." He gently took her hand in his and gave it reassuring a squeeze. His smile faltered when she didn't squeeze back and her eyes narrowed furthered.

"Regardless," James adopted an expression of slight confusion. It was only seconds later he realized that it was Harry who had spoken. "I will be visiting Diagon Alley with Daphne and then I will dine with the Greengrass family as I promised them."

James inhaled sharply as Harry's voice reached him.

It wasn't the words that his son had spoken that had struck him. It was simply the sound of Harry's voice falling on his ears. _'That's not Harry's voice…is it?'_

Had his son changed so much without him noticing? Where was the bubbling laughter that he could last remember? Where were the smiling eyes that dissolved into a fit of giggles every time he came home?

"I won't let you!" Lily's shriek brushed away the silence from Harry's declaration and made its own very uncomfortable one. "Okay…"James said softly while letting go of his wife's hand. "Why don't we backtrack a bit?"

"I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with going to the girlfriend's house. It's not like there won't be any adult supervision." He threw a sharp look at Harry who seemed to be growing more and more annoyed by the second. "Right?"

At his continued prodding, Harry threw him such a venomous look that it nearly had him recoiling. "That's beside the point, James!" Lily interjected while glaring at him quite angrily. "I don't want him anywhere _near_ that family! We don't know anything about them!"

He gave a nervous chuckle before saying, "Sweetheart, the Greengrass family has a wonderful reputation. Everyone knows for a fact that Michael and Catarina weren't even in the country during the war and that they supplied financial support to many relief groups."

Lily practically growled at him and he had to force himself not to jump away. "Ahhh…anyways…Harry my dear boy," he gave his son his patented grin. "I think it's time we had the 'Talk'."

This time, James did push his chair away to put some distance from the look he was getting. The way Harry's face went completely slack and eyes set on fire gave him_ really_ bad vibes.

"…Iris."

"Uhh…y-yes?" It was obvious that the girl was rather alarmed by her brother's flat tone. "Go to bed."

She immediately protested. "But it's only fi-"

"_Now_."

"Yes, Harry!" A complete about face from before; she scurried off in a rush.

As Harry turned his gaze back on them, James couldn't help but gulp audibly. Something told him that things were about to go horribly wrong.

* * *

Merciless.

That would be the one word which Lily Potter would use to describe her son's gait as he strode into the impressive living room. Arms straightened at his side, the lull of his legs as they cut through the air and the sheer magnificence he carried himself with.

Childhood memories from her favorite literature surfaced and swiftly replaced Harry as the Lord of Barad-dûr made his way to the Black Seat.

Harry spun on his heel and promptly sat down. Legs and arms crossed, he looked every bit the noble scion he was. There was a moment of silence before he quirked an eyebrow. "Well?"

Lily looked over to her husband who looked just as nervous as she felt. James began to fumble with his words before managing to say, "Umm…right…I need to make a quick fire call."

When Harry turned his full attention on James, he lamely added, "Be right back." He then quickly scurried off to another part of the manor, leaving Lily to stare at his retreating back with a betrayed look.

She hesitantly returned her gaze towards her son who was looking at her unexpectedly. When she caught sight of his green eyes, harsh as steel, her gaze flinched away. Lily had to fight the down the momentary feeling of shame. _'Scared of my own son…I'm such a failure as a mother.'_

Taking a deep breathe, Lily made her way towards her teenage child. Feeling incredibly self-conscious as her son's eyes trailed after, she gingerly deposited herself next to him. Cautiously raising her gaze, Lily once again met his unyielding visage and flinched at the void of emotion she found. The silence dragged on between the two as Lily stared down into her lap.

Not knowing what to say, she desperately hoped James would be back quickly so that she would no longer have to endure the intensity of Harry's eyes all by herself. A small part of her wanted to laugh at the irony of her situation.

Her she sat, with the one thing she wanted more than anything. Just she and her son, all by themselves with no one else to intrude on their private time; and she couldn't bear to meet his gaze. She continued to play with her fingers as she cursed her husband for running away from the confrontation with their son like a coward.

However, Lily's eyes widened in shock as a hand entered her vision and took grasp of one of hers. Looking up in surprise, she saw that Harry had his full attention on their touching hands and that a minor frown played across his lips.

She felt her pulse hasten as he pried her fingers apart and entwined his digits with hers. A shiver traveled up her arm and down her spine as currents of electricity sparked between their touch. Fire ruptured within her as dull ache echoed through her chest. Harry's slowly looked up, his eyes smoldering in emerald fire.

Her breathe caught in her throat.

He tilted his head slightly, appraising her with his roiling eyes and spoke, ever so lightly. "I frighten you."

It was not a question, she realized. He was stating something he was firm in his belief in.

Her expression morphed into one of quiet desperation as she rapidly shook her head in denial. Her hair lightly fraying about as she denied his accusation as much as to herself as to him.

"Nonono! I love you, Harry!" She tentatively reached out with her free hand and softly cupped his cheeks. Lovingly caressing his smooth yet firm skin. Tears pooled in her glistening eyes and she poured every ounce of love and care into her look. With a gentle care and a small smile, she smoothed over a few of his bangs behind past ears. "Baby, I love you _so much." _

'_I love you so much that it hurts…'_

Harry's eyes drooped back to their hands and het heart fluttered as she felt his thumb softly stroke the back of her hand. "But you are afraid." He stated softly.

Lily's smile dimmed in confusion and she slightly pulled back her hand. Once again, Harry raised his eyes to hers, and Lily had to suppress her body from shaking from his stare. As unyielding as ever, there was a slight glimmer in his eyes that she couldn't place. A shifting emotion that remained indescribable to her.

"Harry I-" But he quickly cut her off.

"You are afraid I will reject you. Terrified that I will hate you. Hate you for abandoning me for all these years."

Lily's heart lurched. A cold dread hand gripped her as terror mounted in her pounding veins. Every word Harry spoke pronounced a doom that she had been desperately trying to evade. She didn't want this! She didn't want to experience her son breaking away from her and denouncing her as she so rightly deserved!

"Harry…please…" She pleaded as tears began to stream down her face.

"For leaving me to fend for myself for ten years." He pushed on. Lily began to shake her head as hysteria set in and she prepared to flee from her son's. But he must have sensed her desire as his magic locked all around them and froze her under its black weight. "For forcing me to watch you give love to my sister even though you denied it to me."

Every syllable, every word was devoid of life and uttered in cold death.

Lily frantically tried to pry her hand away from his grip but he held it in an iron vice. "No…NO!" she shrieked. She didn't want to hear it! She didn't want to face her evils! She didn't want to lose her son!

The gnawing fear boiled within her and rose like bile within her throat. She felt sick. Absolutely and utterly sick as despair tore its way savagely through her shattered heart.

"For pushing me to the side as the rest of the family lived happily. For throwing me away and then suddenly deciding that you want me back!" Lily had given herself to panic and began thrashing against Harry and the sofa that they were seated on. She couldn't take it. His harsh whisper had the bite of the arctic winds and the volcanic fury of a dragon. As she pushed against him with her free hand, he suddenly grasped it and threw himself on her.

Pinning her arms above her head, Lily watched in silent horror as Harry looked down at her with a mask of cold indifference. His voice lost the brutality it was spewing words with and dropped to a soft tenor. "You're terrified, _mother_, that I've finally had enough and am going to leave."

That was it.

The simple and dismissive way Harry called her mother ripped her soul apart and Lily Potter began to wail in despair. No longer could the mother, regardless of how strong willed she was, bear the cold fury of her estranged son. "I'm sorry!" She cried in utter despair. "Harry, I'm so sorry! Please…baby please…don't leave me…"

She continued to cry, to grieve over the son she, for some unfathomable reason, did away with. In complete misery, Lily wept furiously as her son continued to gaze down at her without a hint of pity. Her throat constricted and her lungs burned from the lack of air as she could feel her magic slowly slip away from her. The world itself became unbearable under the thoughts of desolation that coiled around her.

Harry let go of his clasp over writs and leaned away from her so that he was no longer on top of her. Her heart nearly burst under the realization that Harry must be leaving. Practically jumping from where she had been strewn across the sofa, Lily latched onto Harry in a deranged sense of desperation.

"NO!" She screamed. "I won't let you go!"

She struggled to get straight as she seized him in a frenzy and securely wrapped her arms around his waist. Eyes wide in mania and a demented light glittering within, Lily pressed the side of her face into Harry's abdomen.

'_He can't go! He's mine! _MY _son!'_

Intent on making her son stay with her, regardless of what she was forced to do in order to subdue him, Lily reached deep within herself and began to gather her magic. However, as it whipped around in a maniacal storm, Lily realized that Harry wasn't moving. In fact, he seemed to be making no attempt whatsoever of stirring from his spot against the plush cushions. Holding on to her magic, she cast a tentative look upwards and was slightly bewildered at what Harry was doing.

That is to say, namely…nothing.

Harry had an elbow propped up against the arm of the sofa which he used to lean his head against. No longer was his face a hard visage of cold darkness and silent fury. Instead, he gazed down at her with a look that clearly read as, 'dully unimpressed.'

Blinking away the unshed tears, Lily slowly raised herself however, she kept her arms steeled around Harry's torso. "H-Harry?" she called out to him cautiously.

"Yes?" he answered promptly.

Lily blinked in absolute confusion.

Harry had done a complete shift in demeanor. The foreboding air around him was entirely gone. Instead, she was met with the same languid teenager she had found earlier that afternoon in the library. "Y-you're not l-leaving?"

He looked down at her, his mouth twisting dryly. "Last I checked _I'm _the born Potter here. This is _my _house."

"You…you're n-not leaving?" She reiterated as she dared to hope against all hope and a light breath escaped her.

A flash of annoyance crossed his eyes before he finally sighed. "At the risk of having to repeat myself; this is _my _house."

"You're not leaving," Lily whispered in disbelief. "You're not leaving me."

She then threw herself back into her son and began sobbing with renewed vigor. Lily couldn't ever remember feeling such a mesh of chaotic emotions. She felt guilt, anger and utter wretchedness at what she had done to her son. At the same time, she found joy beyond joy as hope of being able to fix the problems between herself and her beloved son.

She didn't care how pathetic she presented herself to Harry at that moment. All that mattered was that he was there in her arms at that moment.

She cried and cried into him. Her tears soaked into his shirt and their salty flavor melded with his metallic taste. Lily did everything possible to immerse herself in her son. As her fingers dug deeper and pulled him tighter against her, her magic caressed his and took bits of it into herself. She _needed _him. Her son. Her Harry.

Even as she nuzzled into his side, she felt a slight weight begin a gentle stroke of her neck. Rightness and warmth filled her as her son's touch sparked electricity across her skin. Her last conscious feeling, was her son's magic softly blanketing around her.

* * *

Harry absently strummed his fingers across his mother's weave of silken red hair and hummed a soft vibration deep in his throat. It was a good thing he had placed silencing wards around the room to dampen the sounds leaking outwards as his mother had thrown some rather loud hysterics. She had cried herself to sleep in his lap after the emotional rollercoaster he had induced.

'_Entirely uncivilized…'_

Well, truthfully, Harry had become rather disgusted with the fact that she was smearing her bodily fluids all across his person and had forced her into slumber. The wonders of Legilimency. A master of the art on his level could easily manipulate the mind to behave in any way he deemed fit. And deem it fit to put an end to his mother's incessant sobbing he saw.

Idiotic woman.

Did she really think that he would actually run away? That he would leave behind a small nation's worth of resources out of petty spite and childish immaturity? Such a foolish notion would never be conceived within the depths of his mind. Then again, his mother's mental health had been failing spectacularly since the beginning of the semester. The amount of trauma that the last fifteen minutes alone would be substantial to her current psychological stability.

And while, admittedly, his forced confrontation with her was more damaging than helpful; in the long run, it would serve to expedite her rehabilitation into normalcy. Luckily his father would not be so cumbersome to bring into the fold as his magic wasn't so inherently tied to his emotions. Speaking of the dunce, where was he?

Taking down the wards he had placed, Harry reached out to find the magically protected presence of his father…oh, how he lamented that term.

Another presence soon made itself aware to his senses. One that was recognizable, though not welcome, to Harry. His expression fell into a slight scowl as the unmistakable magical signature of Sirius Black came touched his outward senses. Try as he might, his cousin would never be able to entirely remove himself from his family's legacy.

Even now, the well-known staunch supporter of light magic came across as walking magical complex. His aura, forced by personal choices based on virtues and morality, swirled like a thundering storm. Aptly named, the Black family magic stained his very being with shadowed darkness and a veiled malice.

His magic, as well as his mind were easily penetrable despite Sirius knowing Occlumency. Human magic was easily bypassed by his much stronger and capable Daedric Power. Unfortunately, family magicks were the culmination of centuries of sorcery. They were far denser than what any single human could produce and therefore, much more difficult for Harry to breakthrough. Difficult…not impossible. Albiet, the resultant would be the invaded being left to mush and lunacy. Something he _could not_ abide. It was a good thing Sirius had no such protection.

It was Harry's good fortune that, his great-uncle Arcturus Black, had not deemed his grandson worthy of inheriting the title of Lord Black, Marquess of Ravencroft. Many speculated that the old Black couldn't bear to actually pass on the title to his sole heir because, said heir was an embarrassment in the pureblood community. It was widely expected that Arcturus Black would remain lord until his death, upon which, the Lordship would be heavily contested by numerous families.

And, while Sirius had the rightful claim, he would never press it. Leaving it to be fought over by power hungry Black decedents all across Europe. Actually, now that Harry thought about it, the strongest claim after Sirius, belonged to his father. James Potter was nephew to Arcturus Black and an established Lord of a Most Noble and Ancient House. Harry contemplated this fact for a moment. His father was in a situation to actually become lord of two of the eldest families within Europe. This merited further thought.

The Black family resources were legendary throughout the world. If Harry could actually get his hands on them, they would greatly advance his stratagems. In fact, it was an almost forgone conclusion. The only other worthy contender was that first year Slytherin upstart. And his claim was weakened because of his father being of French descent.

It was an avenue he would have to explore, however, on another date as he already had his hands filled with other projects. For now, he would concentrate on the two wizards walking towards him from behind. Immediately, a quick scan of his mind told Harry that Sirius was only here because James had moment of paranoia and wanted someone to be on hand. Apparently his father, he still hated that term, was afraid of what sort reaction he'd get out of him.

It was no secret that Potter men tended to be violently impulsive in regards to their passions. Harry being the obvious exception. The Prince of Order was _not _impulsive. Violent?

Oh yes.

Terribly so, in fact.

But never impulsive.

"Hey there kid! Long time no see!" Sirius's booming laugh crashed over his ears as he walked around the sofa. Harry's scowl became more prominent before he quickly schooled his features and wove a silencing ward around his mother.

The last thing he needed was her to wake up and add her wild sentimentality to the sheer idiocy the two men before him would undoubtedly unleash.

As they both came around, both his father and Sirius looked surprised to find his mother sleeping soundly in his lap. Honestly, he too would have been somewhat surprised had he seen such a scene a few weeks ago. "What's up with Lils?" His godfather asked casually as he sat down on the chair opposite of Harry.

His father, obviously, had a far more concerned reaction as his brow furrowed in worry. "Harry, is your mother all right?" Glancing down at her, Harry gently swept a lock of hair behind her hair. "She had one of her…moments."

His father's expression relaxed, albeit, only slightly. Lily Potter's frantic emotions were well known to those who were close to her. "I see…maybe we should hold off having this conversation until your mother is feeling better."

"Oh come off it James," Sirius said in a softer voice. "Lily will always be high-strung when it comes to her kids. Best we give the poor kid the birds and the bees without his mother being conscious for it."

There was a certain mischievous glint in his eyes that told Harry that Sirius just wanted to take the opportunity to embarrass him. The simplicity of his cousin's mind was rather astounding. How an accomplished wizard such as him managed to function with such an immature mindset was absolutely unnerving.

"Is there any particular reason the mutt is here?" Harry asked as his eyes shifted towards his father.

"Harry," his father frowned heavily. "You shouldn't talk about your godfather like that."

"Harry's just palyin around James." Sirius said with a lopsided grin. "Lay off and take a seat why don't ya?"

"I won't have my children disrespecting guests in my own house," his father said, secretly impressing him. It seems some part of that pureblood upbringing managed some results.

Harry, on the other hand, quickly morphed his features into those of confusion. "Godfather?" He asked warily.

His father mirrored his expression of confusion. "Yes," he said slowly. "Your godfather, Sirius. You know, the one sitting across from you."

"_He's _my godfather?" He intoned in a way that said that clarification was required. "Since when?"

Sirius chuckled heartily while his father gave a nervous laugh. However, when Harry kept up his mask of expectancy, they both quickly sobered and exchanged nervous glances. "Merlin…you're serious aren't you?" His father asked in astonishment.

Sirius opened his mouth but before he could say anything, his father snapped towards him. "Don't even start with that Pads!"

Sirius promptly shut his mouth and his father returned his gaze towards him. Harry settled one hand on his knee and the other on his mother's shoulder. His father sat down on the edge of a chair and leaned in on his knees. "Harry…did you really not know that Sirius is your godfather?" his father said, voice filled with genuine concern.

"Oh come on James!" Sirius quietly exclaimed. "He's having us on!"

"I can assure," Harry lied smoothly. "I had no idea of this misfortune."

It took a minute for the insult to settle in but Sirius finally gave an indignant, "Hey!"

His father, on the other hand, seemed to be having a miniature meltdown. "_How_ could you not know? Sirius has been coming around since _before you were born_!"

"Obviously no one decided to fill me in to this little detail." Harry said dryly.

"Fill you in?" Sirius snorted. "Way to pay attention to your life kid. Seems little Harry inherited your brains Prongs."

Harry ignored the sarcastic remarks from Sirius as he knew that he had already accomplished in settling that wedge of doubt in his father's mind. Such easy things to manipulate, mortals are.

"I just can't understand it! _How_ could you possibly _not_ know?" his father's distress growing with each word was obvious as the lines on his face became more and more prevalent.

"Regardless," Harry said in a tone of finality. Then he turned towards Sirius. "You're fired."

"What!" The estranged Black yelled indignantly. However, he quickly settled down when both Harry and James glared at him. "You can't fire me!" He said much more quietly.

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "When is my birthday?"

"Huh?" The two men simultaneously said dumbly. Harry was sorely tempted to roll his eyes.

"When is my birthday?" he reiterated.

Harry quickly reached out with his Legilimency and repressed the knowledge within Sirius's mind. It was rather amusing, Harry decided, as the man sat there struggling to find the answer that he knew but just couldn't grasp.

"As I said," Harry intoned. "You're fired."

Harry then gently put his arms under his mother's head and lifted her slightly. Shifting slightly, so that she was cradled against him, he placed an arm beneath her and hefted her onto his torso and then promptly stood up. "I'll be taking her to bed."

"Hey wait, we're not done yet!" Sirius said.

"Nothing more needs to be said. You've proven your uselessness. Now if you excuse me."

"Harry, once you've put mother to bed, come back. We still need to talk." His father said, attempting to sound stern through his shaken demeanor.

"It is annoying," Harry said flatly as both Sirius and his father heavily frowned. "How often I have had to repeat myself today. Nothing more needs to be said."

Harry stalked through the hallways of Potter Manor, his magically enhanced body not even registering his mother's weight in his arms. He followed the marble inlayed hallway until he was sure that he was far away enough that no one would sense him. Then, he willed his magic around him and apparated right into his parents' bedroom.

His mother stirred in his arms as he walked over to the large ornate bed that his mother and father shared. Right as he was going to put her down, Harry stopped suddenly. He felt something warm trickle over his collarbone and glanced down. His mother had lightly snuggled against him and her breath warmly fell over his skin. As he continued to stare down at his mother, taking in her delicate eyebrows, smooth delicate features, he marveled at just how like mother and daughter were alike. Within a few years, no doubt, Iris would match their mother in beauty.

With the force of a single thought, the covers were willed away and Harry delicately laid his mother down on her side, making sure that her head rested on the pillow so that she would not develop neck problems.

As Harry drew the covers back over her, his mother let out a soft murmur that would have been inaudible to normal human ears. "Harry…don't go….."

His eyes narrowed. The desperate longing was so apparent in her voice that he wondered if she were truly asleep. Ever so slowly, he dipped down onto one knee so that he was on level with her face. He gently brushed her mind and found her to be sound asleep as he had programmed her to be. As Harry stood up and made to move, something alien washed over him.

Turning his gaze towards his mother's prone form, he cautiously reached down and pressed the very tips of his fingertips to the soft flesh of her cheek. Just as he made contact, his eyes widened and he pulled back. Letting out a low hiss, he willed his magic and tore away. So abrupt was his departure, he failed to hear his mother's soft call. "…Harry."

* * *

**Author's Note: Hope You Enjoyed!**

**Reviews are much appreciated and taken in consideration! I love getting ideas from my readers because as far as I know, I'm one of the _very _few authors that has a Prince as a main character.  
**

**This is NEX saying see you in a while!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Well I'm back! After a two+ week hiatus I'm churning the chapters again. I have to say I enjoyed writing this chapter.**

**On a side note I prefer the darker truths of Humanity when it comes to writing so the more 'decent' feelings may come across forced.**

**Someone asked if Lily is a housewife, can't remember who but, the Potter family intricacies will be revealed next chapter.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Night**

Darkness loomed on the horizon.

The sun slowly bled its way down the horizon, allowing her domain to slowly creep and encompass the world. Sitting in Diagon alley, Daphne was left pondering the situation she had found herself in. For over ten years, she was the eldest daughter of a respected and influential family. For over ten years she was sure of her place in the world. And it all came crashing around her with the arrival of one Harry Potter.

The Lords of Misrule; the Princes of Oblivion.

Absolute in their power and existence, they reigned supreme over the countless worlds that engulfed the Void of Oblivion. Impossibly powerful, nigh omniscient; their authority was final; their will made reality.

And all of it changed as even the Daedric Lords were not immune to the cruel mistress known as Destiny. The World-Eater's rage collapsed the various folds of reality and they had paid the ultimate price. Now bound to mortal coil and form, they were but shells of their magnificent glory.

Daphne turned her gaze heavens-ward as a cold grip settled onto her chest. Her magic swirled as the night settled across the earth and her power and influence rose in spades. She cast her eyes left, and then right. In the troughs of her domain, she peered into the yielding hearts of mortals.

The primordial darkness is what hid the very first evils, the greatest of secrets. There was nothing that could be permanently hidden from her.

A handsome young man had just left the backdoor of the Apothecary with a renewed supply of potion ingredients. Potion ingredients, which would have him in Azkaban for a minimum of five years. The young woman who was staring at her from across Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor; she was doing her best to deny the urges of the flesh and the obvious attraction she held towards her own gender. The woman sitting outside of the tea shop was desperately hoping her husband wouldn't notice the virility potion that his tea had been laced with.

A smirk played across Daphne's delicate lips. There was no denying the pleasure she felt in her supremacy over humankind. She just wished that it was at her rightful station. She wasn't like her other brethren; in the regards that they had little qualms about adjusting to their mortal forms.

Jyggalag ruthlessly suppressed any possibility of his mortal soul overtly influencing his actions. Well, not _entirely_. The true Prince of Order would have already left a sleuth of mindless drones in his wake. Harry Potter had managed to temper the single-minded drive of Jyggalag into an acceptable ambition laced with veiled malice. Luna Lovegood, seemed to have assimilated perfectly with Azura and the two were as cryptic as one as they ever were when separate.

It was only she who was having trouble in dealing with her awakened form and immortal alter-ego. She had been Nocturnal for two years. Half the time Azura had spent awakened and a mere fraction when compared to Jyggalag. Her synchronization was leaving her a convoluted mess at times. The cold indifference of Nocturnal, would be what some would call a second nature to Daphne Greengrass. However, to those that truly knew her, she only put on a front to keep away the lingering hands of wanting purebloods.

Daphne loved her family dearly and in order to protect her family and the peaceful neutrality her father had worked so hard for, she perfected her façade of remoteness. Nocturnal, however, was truly indifferent to all of Creation. She cared little for the going on of mortals and her few interactions with them, were of sport and amusement. She cared for nothing but her domain and the absolute it presented.

Though the immortal and her mortal soul shared one very strong point. They both cherished their respective sisters. Nocturnal would gladly interfere on Azura's behalf and Daphne would go to the ends of the world for Astoria. It was this small yet outstandingly significant common trait that tethered the desire to protect what both perceived as their family. Daphne as Nocturnal and Nocturnal as Daphne.

The night finally settled in completely as the sun lost itself beyond the continuing horizon. Daphne's magic hummed in silent glory as her power echoed unseen.

Soft lips, in their fullness, parted and she inhaled the wintery air in its cool, stationary crispness. The magic of the night, entirely and utterly hers, streamed as it lightly coiled around her lungs. Her startling sapphire eyes fell half-lidded. A light blush adorned her pale cheeks and the cold air wrapped her tightly. She ignored the mortals as they stole glances at her. Marveling at her youth and beauty.

She sat prim and majestic, her eyes layered on the ground as her spirit committed itself to her sphere of power and roamed her servant shadows. She exerted her influence, unseen and unheard, and darkened the evening, causing each luminescent pinprick in the night sky to burn with further ardor.

Lost to her own being, the actuality of Nocturnal reveled in its grandeur. She saw, she heard and she influenced. A secret guarded, a crime kept hidden and a stroke of luck that shouldn't be possible. Though it was small in comparison to what she could once do, the area of Diagon and its adjacent places would know her splendor.

As the fabric of reality gave way to her will, there was a sudden ripple in the tides of fate. The power shifted as a new presence made itself known, or rather, a new presence ripped itself into space. With a frown, Daphne drew in her Daedric Power and craned her delicate neck towards the entrance of the Alley. The brick wall came apart and a veritable flood of magic rushed over the alleyway.

Each life held a certain gravitas. A pull on the weaves of destiny and fate.

A stone, which drops of water clung to as they passed through the river. That was the presence of a mortal life. Some stones were larger than others and the river of life churned into a cesspool around them. Though not Jyggalag.

The Prince of Order was a _mountain_. Resolute, unyielding, and utterly towering over everything else. He crushed whatever lay beneath him and forced the river to bend around him, completely subverting its destination and path.

He strode powerfully across the cobblestone and the ice of winter gave way beneath his feet in a crunch. His grey cloak billowed in the frozen bite of the wind. His face was impassive as ever and his eyes steeled with otherworldly resolve. But, what truly captivated her attention was his magic.

So densely was it mantled across him, she was sure that if he decided to exert it, that it would crush lesser beings and force them to their knees. An armor of forged midnight, his magic was entirely still and unmoving.

And it unnerved her.

Despite his vaunted control, Jyggalag always allowed his magic to subconsciously simmer around him. That he would so staunchly lock it; could only mean he was putting in all his effort to reign himself in. Something had upset the cruelest of the Seventeen. And she prayed that it wasn't her because as things were now, she stood no chance against the fury of Order.

As he neared her, she could slowly feel the thinly disguised hostility in his form. The heat of his rage pressed against the cold air and she actually had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. "Nocturnal," he greeted curtly.

"Harry," she responded with a polite nod.

While she wouldn't cower before him, for now it was best to play subservient to his temper. It exploding would _not_ be beneficial in anyway. She also held back a sigh as she realized how he had greeted her. Whatever had angered him had undone what little progress she had managed to gain in their barely existent relationship.

"Shall we be off?" She asked looking into his eyes, attempting to glisten some form of emotion in them yet when all she received was a small nod, she silently sighed and went after him once he spun on his heel.

Taking a risk, she cautiously reached out and entwined her arm in the crook of his elbow. She let a hushed breath of relief when his magic didn't explode against her. Daphne tightened her grip and she touched her other arm to his as well.

She glanced up at his face, trying to discern some form of reaction to her sudden touch but, sadly, she only found disappointment in the form of his apathetic face. She wasn't so foolish as to believe that he hadn't noticed. Jyggalag could afford to distract himself in the simple fact that his mind was capable of processing dozens of thoughts simultaneously. Regardless of what held the majority of his attention, he would be fully aware of his surroundings at all times. And she _knew_ he was entirely conscious of _why _she was holding on to him. Jyggalag was no fool and most likely would have figured out what she desired from him.

Shaking off thoughts of her fellow Prince, Daphne swept her eyes across the mortals around them. The bustling of the alley still strong despite the setting of the sun and the absolute stillness of the night. Though they all took care to avoid bumping into the pair, or rather the irate Prince by her side. They might not know what he was, but their instincts were subconsciously pushing them away from the darkened mood of Jyggalag.

Though it did not stop the mortals from staring at the two of them.

Daphne was quite proud of her beautiful appearance. When taken into the account of the white furs she had wrapped around her, she only appeared more stunning and gorgeous. Add to the fact that Daphne still had a few years of growing left, her ego was satisfyingly stroked. Harry, himself, was no slouch in regards to appearance. Dressed to perfect simplicity, he carried himself with all the deadly grace of the kings of old. The ancient blood in his veins, along with the warrior like mentality of his inner Prince, gave him an elegance few could ever hope to execute.

The two Daedra made their way to the doors of the giant marble building of Gringotts Bank and parted the glass doors. The hustling and bustling of the greed infested goblins did not lessen, although, the pair of them garnered more than a few eyes in their direction. Goblins, being an entire race of magical creatures, were far more attuned to the delicate currents of magic than humans. The vicious little creatures, indubitably, noticed their heavy presence in the folds of magic.

Striding along with Harry, she made her way to one of the desks that catered to appointments with the bank. "We have an appointment with Stoneknot for six-fifteen." Harry intoned from beside her.

"Names?" it asked.

"Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass." Harry said. The goblin peered down at the two of them, scrutinizing their faces.

Daphne crinkled her nose and looked away from the small wrinkled creature. She wasn't fond of goblins very much. For starters, they weren't all too pleasing on the eyes. And another thing was that they tended to growl and snarl unpleasantly. She'd much rather let Harry deal with them, thank you very much.

The goblin sneered down at its little book and made a mark with a quill. "Present your wands for identification," the goblin said in a guttural tone.

Inspecting their respective wands closely as they offered them to it, the goblin handed them back and called over another goblin."Take these two," the goblin said with disdain. "Over to Account Manager Stoneknot's office."

The smaller goblin led them off into the depths of the building and the underground offices of the upper management of the bank. They passed several doors until they finally stopped at a large oaken door with various descriptive pictures of violence engraved on it. The goblin knocked once and a brisk, "Enter" came as the reply.

"Mister Harry Potter and Miss Daphne Greengrass, Account Manager Stoneknot," their guide announced.

Stoneknot was a very weathered looking goblin with some ugly white scars running across his skull and face. The tufts of white hair that spurted from the side of head didn't help his image, nor the crooked glasses. "Ah, my six-fifteen appointment." Said with a smile. At least Daphne thought it was a smile. The smile, however, quickly fell from the goblin's face as it said, and quite rudely too, "You're one minute late."

Daphne narrowed her eyes but Harry chose to ignore the slight and briskly crossed the room and sat down in one of the two chairs in front of Stoneknot's desk. Daphne quickly joined Harry and the two stared at the elderly goblin in front of them. However, it looked past them and growled, "Leave!"

There was a scurrying of feet and the door behind them shut with an audible click. Stoneknot peered over his glasses at the two of them and said, "What can I do for you this evening, Mister Potter?"

Cutting right to the chase, Harry evenly said, "We wish to expand Oblivion Enterprises overseas."

Daphne's mouth twisted. Oblivion Enterprises was the company Harry set up at the beginning of summer before their second year. He bought numerous stores across wizarding settlements and turned them into drug stores of a sort. They sold numerous potions ranging from common pepper-ups to advanced skele-grow. Of course, nothing illegal such as polyjuice or amortentia. The potion's themselves were supplied by Oblivion Enterprises and distributed to the masses at commercial value.

When Daphne first found out, she questioned him as to how he managed to produce potions en mass all by himself. His answer; he didn't. At some point, Harry had tracked down a prominent Potions Master on the continent and murdered him for one reason or another. Although, not before Harry used his legilimency to rip all the knowledge the man had about potions from his mind. Afterwards, Harry tracked down several muggleborn witches and wizards who fell out of magical society and into the slums of the muggle one.

Proceeding to turn them into mindless drones who would serve him with zeal, he implanted the knowledge he stole from the Potions Master and used them as a source of menial labor. However, in order to keep up appearances, he still paid them as the Ministry would obviously not take too kindly to human slavery.

As to _how_ Harry managed to obtain the licensing rights and maneuver the various bureaucratic tape needed to launch such a business, she had absolutely no idea. She had a sneaking suspicion that there were more than a few Ministry officials under the thumb of Jyggalag.

"I see," Stoneknot said while folding his hands in front of his face and leaning closer. "Is there any particular location you would like to set up shop?"

"Spain, specifically _la Plaza de la Tentación_." Harry said.

The _Plaza_, as Daphne remembered was the Spanish equivalent to London's Diagon Alley. Located in the ancient city of Toledo, it was one of Europe's largest magical centers and functioned as a heavy tourist attraction for traveling witches and wizards.

"I see," the goblin said. "And what is it that you need from Gringotts, Mister Potter?"

"What we need," Harry responded. "Is for Gringotts to help Oblivion Enterprises obtain all the necessary documentation to start selling in Spain as well as buy property. We also need recommendations for a shipping company that is both reliable as well as cost efficient."

"Gringotts can do this for you, Mister Potter," Stoneknot nodded. "For a price, or course."

"Of course," Harry said, returning the nod.

"If I may Mister Potter," Goblin said. "Why Spain? As it is now, the tariff costs are quite high and it is a well-known fact that the potions' industry is not faring so well in that particular country."

"That is precisely why we wish to expand into Spain," Harry said smoothly. It was Daphne who elaborated further, speaking up for the first time since entering the office. Giving Stoneknot a cold look, she calmly said, "The high tariffs are dissuading competition from entering Spain and the potions' business isn't suffering so much as the potion ingredients' business."

Stoneknot gave the Princes an appreciative nod and then said, "It will not be cheap, expanding into a foreign country. The _plaza _is infamous for its high property costs. This will also be a very time consuming venture. The Spanish bureaucracies are not known for swift action. I estimate this will take at least four months to handle in which Gringotts_will _charge you all the necessary fees."

"How much will it cost us in total," Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.

Stoneknot, closed his eyes for a moment, no doubt running everything in his head and the costs that would be acquired. "At least seven-hundred and a half thousand galleons." He finally said.

Beside her, Harry nodded and produced a manila envelope from thin air and handed it to Stoneknot, who took it with a look of curiosity. "And this is?" He asked.

"A note authorizing the transfer of six-hundred thousand galleons from l'Ambassadeur Royale Hotel and Casino to Oblivion Enterprises, signed by the Baron Avery himself." Harry said. "The remaining hundred-thousand can be covered by the profits made over the span of the next four months, no?"

Stoneknot looked between the check and the two Princes with something akin to incredulity. It wasn't in a goblin's nature to question clients who brought in legitimate profits but, in this case, Daphne knew that two teenagers with such capacity were rather unheard of. Luckily Stoneknot had been dealing with them on and off for over year. Besides, it was child's play for the Lady Luck to walk into a casino and then walk out several galleons heavier. Being a Daedric Prince had its benefits. One of them was that you can generally get into any establishment regardless of age limits. All it took was a little Daedric persuasion.

* * *

The two Princes had left Gringotts after concluding their business and proceeded to head down Knockturn Alley. A dangerous venture for the most as during the darkened hours, the region was filled with various beings of darker allegiances.

Knockturn was home to many of the Patrons of the Night. From ancient to newborn vampires. To the werewolves of Great Britain. To even the ever elusive Fey and their ilk who bartered with humans for strange and eldritch goods. For the Daedric Princes Nocturnal and Jyggalag, it was a place of opportunity and profitable prospects.

Wishing to remain hidden, Daphne wrapped herself in the cradle of shadows, wholly hidden from all eyes save for the savvy insight of her companion. Harry had conjured a large dark, brown cloak to conceal his frame and allowed the massive hood to veil his face. An obscuration charm made sure that no one would be able to discern his identity.

Daphne followed Harry as he made his way to the establishment known as Ebony and Ivory inn. A local place used by the customers of Knockturn when their business would require an overnight (or over-day depending on race) stay. A rackety, worn down looking building, Daphne would normally never even dream of setting foot in such an unruly place.

The doors were marked by a single emblem that all regulars of the alleyway would recognize as neutral ground. Which meant that the supernatural forces that held true authority over Knockturn, would not permit or tolerate any violence within. On either side stood rather large and fierce looking individuals who Daphne immediately recognized as werewolves.

One of them made to intercept Harry but, the obvious darkening of his magic convinced the lycan otherwise and he went in unobstructed. The moment they passed through the threshold, Daphne felt Harry's magic thinly layer the air. Undoubted, the Lord of Logic was swiftly scanning the minds of each inhabitant of the building.

They moved forward, Harry looking tall and intimidating in flowing robes and Daphne entirely hidden from the others inside the Ebony and Ivory. The first floor was something of a bar and restaurant as various shady characters sat about nursing drinks in their hand.

Harry made his way over to the corner where a single table was situated and seated a lone man carefully eyeing the other patrons. Daphne melded into the shadows on the wall as Harry sat down across from the man. "Kevin Mallory," Harry said in a deeper and heavier voice then his usual one. "A mutual friend pointed me your direction. She said you can be of some help."

The man smiled grimly. He had a shaven head and a light shadow playing across his jaw. "Ah so you're the bloke she sen' us this time, eh?"

Daphne smiled from her vantage point in the shadows. She spent the majority of her free time familiarizing herself with the criminal underworld. Both Muggle and magical. It hadn't taken her long to hear the whispers of an elite organization of thieves that directed most of the crime in the United Kingdom. It fondly reminded her of the Thieves Guild in Tamriel.

Once she had found them and made contact, anonymously of course, she began building a beneficial relationship with them. Due to her position as an heiress in High Society, Daphne tended to know things that the majority of the common folk didn't. A tip here and a suggestion there, allowed the thieves quick and easy jobs that were highly lucrative at the same time. Sometimes, she even sent a client there way for mutual profit.

"So," Mallory said as he took a swig from a mug. "Wot can I do for you guv?"

"I have a few jobs that I need you to run," Harry said from beneath his hood.

"Righ'," Mallory said leaning back. "First things first guv, I need a name fore we do any business. Need some insurance, if you catch my drif'?"

"You may call me Nerva," Harry said. "And as for insurance, well, let's just say that you're far too valuable an asset to displace."

"Right," Mallory shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Don' take it personally, ma'e. Even if the Lady Starstrucksen' you we still need to be careful."

'_Starstruck?'_ Daphne thought. _'That's a new one.'_

Harry gave voice to her thoughts. "Starstruck? I do not believe I am familiar with such a person."

"Ah, well," The thief said with a slight smirk. "It'swot the boys in the office call 'er. She's been sendin' qui'e a bit 'o' gold our way."

"Take care," Harry said gravely. "She's been known to be nothing but bad luck."

Daphne narrowed her eyes. Of course he would say that. So what if she tended to turn around a mortal's fortune on a baseless whim? It was her right as the Prince who governed the sphere of luck. In a brief bout of irritation, Daphne caused the shadows obscuring Harry's face to constrict and pinch his cheeks painfully.

Unfortunately, the Prince of Order decided to retaliate and she felt a sharp ache in her skull beginning to throb painfully. Grudgingly, she was forced to let go of the shadows on his face.

"Huh," Mallory said. "I'll be sure to keep tha' in mind. Now, down to business."

Harry conjured a folder and handed it to Mallory. The thief took the documents and opened it at an angle so that only he could see the contents and anyone from behind would be met with the sight of his back. Daphne looked on with approval as the man spent several minutes digesting the information rather than simply glancing at it and giving it a one over.

"A numbers job, eh?" Mallory said sharply. "You wan' us to hi' these business and hi' 'em hard."

"Nothing major, Mister Mallory." Harry intoned. "I want subtle divergences that will cause tax discrepancies in the near future."

"Sure." The thief said with a nod of understanding. "Easy nuff. But it'll cos' you…say twen'y five hundred gold ones?"

"Twenty-two," Harry said and tossed the man a coin purse, not giving him the chance to argue.

The thief pocketed the bag with a chuckle. "Qui'e good a' this, guv. Now, if tha' concludes ou' business, I'd appreciate i' if you lef' me to my drink."

"Not quite," Harry said sharply. Daphne saw him reach into his robes and pull out a folded piece of paper. Harry handed it to Mallory who looked at its contents with a raised eyebrow.

"Wotwi'h all the funny li'le squiggles, guv?" Mallory said.

"If you or…your _associates_," Harry said carefully. "Ever run across this form of writing, I'd be willing to pay a hefty sum for such information. Indeed, I'd pay even more for their procurement."

"I'll keep tha' in mind."

The whole of Harry's hood moved as he nodded his head and Daphne stared at him hard as she felt his magic begin to stir. "One last thing Mallory." His voice flat and monotone. "I do not want it known I am…in the market, if you will, for those 'squiggles' as you call them."

"I understand, guv," Mallory smirked. "We do secrets real well."

"I don't think you do," Harry stated simply while releasing tendrils of magic.

Daphne followed the lines of his power and found them coiling around a man on the other side of the floor. Within seconds the man began to choke violently and garnered the attention of every occupant within the inn.

She frowned as Harry's magic pressed down harder on the man and he fell to the floor clawing at his throat. Mallory, along with several other, craned their heads to see the grim spectacle. Several other patrons, including the bartender, actually got out of their seats to help the flailing man.

"Understand, Mister Mallory," Harry said. The thief turned back around at the hint of dark amusement perceived in the Prince's voice. "I am _deadly_ serious about this affair." With one last push, Daphne felt the man's lungs utterly stop and his heart give way. He ceased thrashing and went eerily still.

A chilling silence descended on the on looking crowd and finally, one brave soul stepped forward and touched the man on his neck. Three painfully long seconds passed before the man cried, "Good Merlin! He's _dead_!"

"I believe that settles our agreement, Mister Mallory." Harry said as he stood. The thief looked at Harry, pale and slightly wide eyed. His mouth opened and shut a few times before he managed to say, "Righ'…bye then."

Daphne quickly transferred herself from the wall into Harry's shadow. Harry walked around the table and as he passed Mallory, he stopped suddenly, causing the thief to look at him cautiously. "Oh," Harry iterated dryly. "Do have a good evening, Mister Mallory."

With that, Harry swept past the bustling crowd clambering over the sudden death of one of the regulars. Daphne, for her part, was beginning to wonder if Jyggalag was planning any further murders for this particular night. If so, he would find his invitation to dine at Greengrass Manor rightfully revoked.

* * *

Daphne appeared in a burst of green flames as she stepped out of the fireplace and into the living room of Greengrass Manor. Falion, one of the family's house-elves, immediately appeared next to her and began magically cleaning all the soot and ash from her person and the floor. "Welcome home, Missy Daffy." Falion said his unusually deep voice, for an elf, that is.

"Hello, Falion. Is dinner about to be served?" She asked with an amused smile. House-elves reminded her of her nightingales. Always scurrying about and eager to please her in any way possible. Perfect little housekeepers, both of them were too.

A rush of fire from behind her told her that Harry had also arrived. Falion moved to clean off Harry as he gave his answer. "Yes Missy! Master was ready to collect, Missy Daffy hisself."

Daphne nodded and began to walk towards the dining room when she heard Falion address Harry. "It be good seeing youzagains, Master Harry."

"Thank you, Falion," Harry said monotonously.

Daphne had to suppress a chuckle as she could practically hear the frown in Harry's voice. Harry wasn't too fond of house-elves as a whole. The way they butchered any and every language drove the Prince of Logic to great lengths of frustration.

She turned around to make sure that Harry wouldn't deliver any unnecessary cruelty while her back was turned on the poor elf. Fortunately, Harry chose to ignore Falion and moved to join her. However, as he wept past him, Falion called out once again.

"S-Sir?" The diminutive creature called hesitantly. Both Princes turned around with expectant looks and Daphne was forced to subdue another laugh as Falion's impossibly wide eyes threatened to spill out of their sockets. "Is-is the great Miss Iris Potter be doing well?"

Daphne caught the flash of disapproval in Harry's eyes and how his fingers seemed to twitch. _'Wonderful, as if he weren't already in a foul mood.' _Daphne thought dryly. For one reason or another, house-elves across the British Isles seemed to worship the Girl-Who-Lived. It was a little beyond her as to why they would worship Harry's younger sister. She wasn't quite sure how Voldemort's premature demise effected the inner-workings of house-elf society.

"Iris," Harry's voice came out slow and careful. "Is quite happy."

Falion began shaking with excitement and looked as if were ready to start a little jig right on the spot. "Oh thank youz Master Guest Hary Potter, sir!" Then, with a loud crack, the excited little house-elf disappeared. No doubt to inform its fellows about the current status of their idol.

Daphne walked through the manor, taking in the calm undercurrents of family magic that flowed through the buildings infrastructure. For her part, she was glad she was born into the Greengrass family. Their ambient family magic was very similar to Nocturnal's. Not in depth or power, but in nature and measure.

Daphne willed her shoes away, allowing her to feel the cool marble floor dyed a forest green. The walls were of a white color tinted with a slight aquamarine. She truly felt at home in Greengrass Manor. It was moments like these she sympathized with Jyggalag. Due to the nature of his magic, Jyggalag wasn't quite compatible with the versatile powers of family magic. He couldn't fully explore their depths, as the bonds necessary to pull forth their wonders, were naturally suppressed by his Daedric nature.

As she entered the dining room, with Harry following closely behind, Daphne heard a high pitch shriek come from the other side of the room. Both of them looked in the direction of the doors that led to the main seating room and a small blur came racing into Harry.

Daphne rolled her eyes as Astoria slammed into Harry's waist, nearly putting him off his feet. Giggling madly and wrapping her arms around him tightly, Astoria looked up at Harry and happily exclaimed, "Harry! You came!"

Harry smiled down indulgently at the girl and patted her head, almost eliciting a snort from Daphne. If Astoria knew what truly lay behind that smile she'd be heartbroken. However, she knew that Harry allowed himself an exasperated fondness for her family. He actually allowed some semblance of his mortal soul freedom.

Although, it had more to do with Harry not wanting to upset her than actual kindness on his part. She had made it clear to the Jyggalag that she would not tolerate any mental manipulation or legilimency on her family. Ergo, the Prince of order was forced to pull out his rarely used emotions from whatever box he had shoved them in. The only other option was to treat her family with a casual indifference that would come off as rude.

A fact that always made Daphne inordinately happy. It wasn't often you could push the Enemy of Freedom into a corner.

"I did promise I'd come." Harry gently pried the girl off of him but allowed her to take his hand in hers.

Daphne looked on at the scene with no small amount of mirth. Iris would be beside herself if she found Astoria being so affectionate with her elder brother. Both first year girls had glared at each other often enough when they were in Harry's presence together. Astoria felt that Harry was her honorary brother and guarded that privilege zealously. Iris, who was Harry's sister by blood, had quickly become enamored with her enigmatic older brother and was quite possessive of him. The two infatuated young girls practically hated each other on principle.

"Come on!" Astoria pulled Harry along. "Daddy and Mum are waiting for us."

Daphne followed the pair with a bemused smirk but it quickly fell away when Astoria turned around and glared at her. "Why didn't you bring him sooner?"

'_Why that little…'_

Daphne's eyes narrowed in warning as she spoke in her most condescending voice. "Harry and I had important things to do _together_." She made sure to put emphasis on the last word.

Concern flickered across Astoria's face momentarily and stole glances at Harry. "H-Harry?"

"Yes," he said looking down at Astoria.

"You-you're not _dating_ Daphne…are you?" She asked with a small flush.

"We are not." Came his curt and swift reply. Too swift for Daphne's liking. She sent a heated glare at the back of his skull.

"You know Harry," Daphne's mother's voice called from ahead. "With how quickly you denied Astoria's accusation, I can't help but wonder if you find something wrong with my daughter."

Daphne switched her focus from Harry and Astoria, towards her mother and father, who were both making their way from their seats on the beiger sofa. Harry's lips twisted into an absolutely devilish smirk as he pressed them to the back of her mother's hand. "And how can I be enamored with another," His voice came out a rich tenor. "When such ethereal beauty lies unattainable before me?"

Daphne fumed on the inside as her mother's complexion adorned a light crimson blush and Astoria giggled lightly. He did this. He _always_ did this. It was his revenge for making him play mortal with her family. He shamelessly flirted with her mother at near every chance he got.

"Easy there lad," Her father chuckled. "I _am_ standing right here, you know."

Daphne glared even harder when Harry firmly shook her father's and said. "I've said it once, I'll say it again. Let a man to his delusions born of jealousy."

Her father let out a booming laugh and threw an arm around Harry as he led them back to the dining hall. "Come, dinner's ready to be served." He said through a smile.

"I apologize for the delay," Harry politely said with a dip of his head. "But I was held up at Gringotts."

Her mother and sister walked beside Harry and her father and as they swept past her, Harry locked gazes with amusement shimmered in his emerald eyes.

Jyggalag was a master manipulator. With a few words and some base maneuvering of his position, he effectively captured the attention of her entire family. None of them had even looked at her as they surrounded Harry and led him to the dining table. Truly, he was the cruelest of them all.

They all seated themselves at the table. Her father at the head, her mother on her father's right while Harry, being the guest, sat on his left. In turn, she sat left of Harry and across from her, Astoria sat next to their mother.

"So tell me," Her father said as the house-elves began carrying in several platters of food. "What business does a thirteen year old have at Gringotts?"

Harry gave a small smile. "When I told father I was meeting Daphne at Diagon Alley for some shopping, he asked that I deliver some letters to his account manager. Naturally, I said yes."

Her father chuckled. "Such a wonderful thing, dutiful and obeying children are." He said with a sigh.

Her mother gave him a teasing smile but Daphne gave him a cold look. "Have I given cause for complaint, father?'

Her father chuckled and a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. "Father, is it?" He said teasingly. "Was I not 'daddy' just this afternoon?"

A sudden heat colored Daphne's cheeks and she looked away in a huff. This action triggered a round of laughter from her family and a _very_ infuriating smirk from Harry. "Daphne's a daddy's girl," Astoria sang provocatively.

"Like you aren't" Daphne muttered beneath her breath.

"I've changed my mind," her sensitive ears picked up. She turned to a still smirking Harry. "I think I'll be joining your family for dinner_ far_ more often."

Daphne counted backwards in her head. _'Just a few more hours…'_

* * *

Michael and Catarina had generously invited Harry to spend the night at Greengrass Manor after dinner had been finished, to which he accepted. It was rare for him to allow his mortal coil exert such influence on his behavior but he found a little interaction was actually somewhat entertaining. A distraction for a night would not impede or endanger him in any way so even now, he let the chains on his emotions loosen marginally.

Daphne had been in a foul mood afterwards and refused to talk to him outside of short, laconic replies. Admittedly, an irate Nocturnal would be a pain to deal with but, it had been well worth it for the amount of embarrassment he had heaped on her. There was singular pleasure in manipulating a situation to your liking with nothing but your own mental prowess. No wand waving, no potions, no magic. Just pure wit.

There _was _a reason the Hat put him in Ravenclaw, after all.

Looking out of the window of the guest bedroom that had been furnished for him, he stared off at the waxing crescent of the moon. Nowhere near its full splendor, was the moon's light dim and paler than usual. The Greengrass grounds were bare visible and, if he hazard a guess, the dark of the night were amplified by Nocturnal's fluctuating temper.

Not that he could call her out on acting so childishly. His own temper had been rather prevalent this night. In fact, now that it was dragged back to the forefronts of his mind, it was slowly beginning to return.

Yet, before his recent discovery could re-sour his mood completely, an unexpected tightening of the magic within the room caught this attention. All too familiar with its source, he didn't even bother turning around. "Sneaking into a gentlemen's room at night," He offered with some mock in his voice. "How bold of you Nocturnal."

When she didn't reply, Harry turned around with a curious look on his brow. Usually, she would have quipped a scathing reply that immediately.

He could barely make out her shape, even with his magically enhanced vision. The shadows of the room twisted and veiled her frame so even a basic outline was barely able to be made out. Her magic was absolutely still and frigid. Obviously she was still upset.

The darkness shifted and she walked out of its embrace, though not entirely. Black tendrils still wound around her legs and clung to her back. Her face, beautiful and stern, seemed to be carved of ice. Her blonde hair, wove in waves around her delicate neck. Her lithe body was adorned with a soft white gown of lace and silk.

She had come in her full capacity as Daedric Prince.

"Why?"

Her voice, stronger and prouder than any queen or empress, vibrated across the room and spread through him. However, Harry simply appraised her with an enquiring gaze.

"Why do you continue to call me Nocturnal? I have a name, use it." She practically spat.

"I do," he answered coldly, not liking the tone she was taking with him one bit.

"I am _Daphne Greengrass_," she hissed. "It's _my_ name. Use it!"

"Daphne Greengrass is a mortal shell!" His voice laced with iron. Would her childishness know no bound? How long was she going to chain herself to her mortal fancies?! "A fleeting existence. Nocturnal is a Daedric _Prince_. A being of unfathomable power and greatness. Why would you put aside something so grand?"

She crossed the distance between them in quick and powerful steps. Her face but inches from his, she let out a harsh whisper. "The same reason Harry Potter holds his sister with cherished zeal."

Harry's face lost any and all veneer of emotion it once held. His magic darkened, twisted and rose with all the fury of the leviathans of old. Emerald eyes dissolved into unforgiving silver, his face set in black ice as Harry spoke with silken venom. "Tread carefully, Mistress of the Night. You cannot survive my wrath."

"Nor you mine, Eldest." Her voice, quiet yet strong.

"You would betray me then?"

"Treachery is the way of the Daedra."

In an instant, Harry had her pinned to the bed by the throat, his face impassive even as her eyes bulged with the lack of air. His hand clenched in a vice and she attempted to tear away at it. But he held resolute, even as he held her magic at bay with his own.

The veins under her ivory skin rose in a web as they became starved from the lack of blood flow. He tilted his head, watching as she slowly lost what little color she had in the first place. A tinge of blue and purple tainted her once rose shaded cheeks.

Harry applied more pressure and heard the cartilage of her neck crunch. However, she brought her hand up and impaled her nails into his wrist. Blood gushed from the wound and a terrible pain shot through his arm. She must have hit the nerve as he lost all control of his hand and it went limp.

Quickly, she put a hand behind his neck and flipped him over so that he was now lying on the bed. Mounting him, she covered both hands in layers of black and dark blue magic and attempted to smash his head in. Yet, with his good hand, he managed to raise a strong enough barrier to stave off her attempts.

In the deepest hour of the night, her magic was strongest. On the other hand, he was much stronger but, he was quickly losing blood from the severed blood vessels in the hand she had damaged. Thus, it became a battle of wills. Could he push her back far enough before he bled out? Would her magic last under the brunt of his until he became too weak from the wound she delivered?

The Princes locked their eyes together, Jyggalag in his unrelenting silver and Nocturnal in her unfathomable sapphire. Malice and Magic thickened the bedroom as they continued to struggle against one another. Two princes vying for supremacy and domination as they had in the elder days.

Therefore, it came to a great shock to both Lords of Oblivion, when a sudden knock was heard on the other side of the bedroom door. Their eyes widened though, they never broke their gaze from one another. The unmistakable voice of a house-elf broke the tense silence. "Master Harry being okay?"

He didn't say anything, keeping his eyes glued to her startling blue sapphires. They kept gazing at one another. Their breathing, heavy and labored from adrenaline and the taxation of calling on so much dense magic at once. Slowly, the two Princes drew back their magic. A painstaking process as they both waited for the other to lash out.

The elf knocked again. "Master Harry? Youz being all right, sir?"

"I-I am…" His voice came out weak and high pitched. He cleared his voice and attempted to speak again. "I am fine."

"Youz be sure?"

He saw her eyes briefly flicker to the door and quickly took advantage and sealed the bleeding on his wrist. The moment he did pull on his magic, her eyes snapped back at him, fierce and lethal.

He inhaled deeply and said in gruff voice, "I am."

"Okay then." There was an audible crack and both princes reverted their attention to each other.

There was no movement, no sound, no thought to pass between them. They simply stared into each other's eyes. Not an ounce of mercy to be found in their unflinching stare.

Then she moved.

It was faster than Harry could have reacted. He was entirely helpless in that moment. Nocturnal had taken advantage of his lapse and he paid the price. Utter shock tore its way through him as he understood what she did. What she was doing.

Firm, strong and fierce.

She was kissing him.

His mind drew a blank. The single greatest processor in all of existence and he drew a blank on what was happening. He didn't kiss back, he was simply too surprised. When she finally pulled back, with a small nibble of his lower lip, he caught sight of her eyes once more.

Sapphire depths of pure sorrow, confusion and rage. There was so much raw emotion held within her gaze that he couldn't comprehend at all just what exactly was churning through her mind. A stream of tears fell down one side of her face as her lips trembled. Slowly her hands reached down and cupped his face. Her face, marred with grief and desire. It was dark, unbound and endless. Her magic touched his, calling to his.

And he answered.

Harry's good hand shot forward around her neck and pulled her down.

"Ummphhh!"

She cried out in surprise as their lips crashed together but soon enough, her mouth was moving against his. Power, savage and primal, ripped its way through him as he pulled her deeper and deeper into the searing kiss. His other hand, dripping with fresh blood wrapped around her waist, cradling her against him.

They pulled apart as the need for air overwhelmed their dark passion. The magic still raging in the room, feeding their dark hunger, filling the two Princes with sheer need. She looked down at him, bewilderment and bliss mixed together. His eyes like those of a predator, monstrous and empty in desire.

She gave a yelp as he flipped her over and kissed her anew. This time, his tongue lashing out, demanding entrance and satisfaction. And she gave it to him. He brought both hands gripping into her hair, spilling crimson drops against her weave of golden strands. Their thirst for each other leaving them only with their inherent Daedric instincts.

Daphne moaned as Harry bit down hard on her lip and tugged.

As he trailed his lips down her jaw and over the hollow of her throat, she softly groaned out his name. "Harry…Harry….._Harry_!"

She cried out as he sunk his teeth into her pale flesh that was already turning a shade of purplish black from his earlier attempts at strangulation. Her fingers entwined in his ebony locks and yanked painfully when he sucked on bruised and marred skin.

He pulled back and towered over her as he stood on his knees. Merciless and unrelenting, he gazed down at her with a terrible starvation. He could practically hear his baser Daedric nature screaming at him to act on his principles of supremacy.

A single pulse of magic eradicated all forms of attire.

She looked so vulnerable, panting and glistening in sweat as what little moonlight tainted her image. Her head lying to the side as she peered up at him with such darkened lust, Daphne appeared completely and entirely defeated.

He wouldn't let her go. Not after this. There would be no chance of turning back. No chance of betrayal. Every bit of bone…every drop of blood…

'_Mine…utterly mine!'_

* * *

**Author's Note: I assume you see why I cut the Daphne parts from the last chapter? Even harder to believe that the last three chapters occur within the span of twenty-four hours story wise. **

**Funny thing actually; for those you who know the song, I was lopping Wake Up Dead for the last few paragraphs at max volume. So for a good three, four pages on Word, I wrote Diana instead of Daphne. Didn't catch that until I started writing this end note.**

**One last thing...is it just me or is Jyggalag acting _irrational_?**

**As for what's next...one word...Dursely.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed.**

**CE-NEX**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, been _really busy. _Anyways this is merely a filler chapter with nothing happening. Year two starts next chapter.**

**Heads up to my Beta for all the help, WhoCanRemember.**

**Hope You Enjoy**

* * *

**Interregnum  
**

A not so small shiver wrapped her body when she realized his arms tightened around her waist. Her hands traveled down to fingers laced over the smooth skin of her belly. Slowly, she unraveled them and interwove her own fingers with them.

His embrace tightened further and she felt herself being pulled and pressed against him. Harry's warmth seeped into her back and she swore that she could feel his heart beating through his chest.

She felt him stir and suddenly his chin was resting on top of her hair. There was a rumbling within his chest and she heard him hum in thought. A lance of fear pierced her heart. She recognized that sound. Oft, did the eldest Prince contemplate the method before the execution itself.

The only question now was, if she turned around, would she be met with a pair of passionate emeralds or the condemning gaze of merciless mercury? Daphne Greengrass desired Harry Potter and for Nocturnal, the chance to claim Jyggalag as her own was an impassable opportunity. And they both had gotten what they wanted, if for only a night.

But now…

What would be the consequence of their conquest?

Would Harry's heart mange to overcome the cruel pride of a Daedric Prince? Or would Order terminate the all too obvious weakness, presented in the form of her affections?

Daphne inhaled sharply as she felt a velvet pressure against the back of her neck.

A slight tilt of her head caused disheveled ebony locks to come into view.

"You're heartbeat is erratic, sister," Harry's words spilled over her skin as his lips trailed down her neck.

Suddenly his hold felt less like an embrace and more like the constricting coils of a serpent. She absently wondered if that made her the mouse in this situation.

He chuckled darkly as his warm breath sparked electricity across her heated skin.

Daphne's breathing grew hitched as Harry's lips traced over her shoulder and his nose brushed the edges of her ear. Sapphire eyes fell in a silent sigh as his lips firmly planted themselves on the very edge of her jaw.

"Hmm," his throat vibrated deeply and Daphne nuzzled into the sound. A hand slowly slipped out of hers and flitted across yielding flesh. The soft touch of his padded fingers caused chills to tingle down her spine.

Tracing the curves of her still growing frame, Harry's touch was perfectly sensual and Daphne felt a flutter in her heart as long fingers flitted gently over her jaw. His other hand undid itself as well and stroked circles across her navel with the lines of his nails.

Painstakingly, his touch lowered itself, towards her aching nether regions and she felt Harry's teeth rake over a pounding vein in her neck. Her eyes fell half-lidded as anticipation for another round of pleasure filled her.

Shame the pleasure was deftly cut off as Harry's fingers tightly wrapped around her throat and lessened her oxygen supply considerably.

"What to do?" His hollow tone sending horror crashing through the walls of her chest.

"H-Harry," she rasped out.

"Hmm?" He said absently. "Don't mind me. I'm merely debating the merits of your murder."

His fingers were iron and Daphne was left helpless as her magic was shackled by the weight of his own. He had managed to take her entirely by surprise. She felt the cartilage in her neck strain and crunch under the force of his grip.

_'Not like this…Harry…Please!'_

"I suppose you're right." Harry said, causing Daphne to be even more alarmed. He had managed to gain access to her mind!?

His vice loosened though remained in place. She gulped mouthfuls of air as her lungs burned in fire. "As this was a joint effort, you _do _deserve to have your words heard."

As she caught her breath, Daphne slowly took the time to formulate her thoughts. Several moments passed and Daphne felt the knots in her abdomen twist and tighten. She spoke slowly and carefully; rolling the words off her tongue. "You…you won't kill me," she stated with soft conviction.

"Oh?" She could practically feel his brow being raised. Amusement carefully layered the violence in his voice. "Enlightenment me as to why."

"If you wanted to kill me…you would have done so already."

When he didn't give an immediate reply, she knew she had him. He was never shy about murder. Jyggalag had carried out more than one genocide across the Seas of Oblivion in his quest to create a perfect world of Order.

"It's in our nature to indulge ourselves," She pushed on, feeling a sliver of courage return. "You can no more stop pursuing your wants then rid yourself of the sphere of power that is your dominion."

His hands began fretting over her body once more and Daphne was forced to impede the need to squirm under his tap.

"And my wants should be _you_, dearest sister of mine?" The amusement was quite apparent now.

Nocturnal rose from the confines of her mortal coil as willful pride bristled. The Night Queen, with command and challenge, spoke, "Is there any more worthy?"

His fingers stopped their sorcery and he brought them together rest under the shadow of her chest. He fell silent for a moment before speaking in a solemn voice. "If I am to indulge, it will not be on the craven senselessness of Sanguine."

"Nor do I expect you to, Jyggalag," She spoke stiffly. "I have my pride brother. I will not allow what is mine to stray."

"Careful," Harry purred dangerously as his hands came up to cup her breasts. "Do not lay claim to what is another's."

"Then give it to me." She said simply.

"What?"

That caught him by surprise. He most certainly wasn't expecting her to be so brazen with her demands. Daphne leaned back into him and, in a softer voice said, "If I do not have what I desire, than simply gift it to me."

They both fell into silence.

Daphne reached back with her hand and began to play with strands of his wild black hair even as his hands remained stationary over her bosom. A comfortable moment passed before he said, "I suppose I am supposed to deliver a clichéd line about how I cannot give what I do not possess."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Perhaps once, that would have been true for the pair of us. Yet, we both know the severity of our current standing."

"It is little wonder as to why the Aedra were left with these domains," Harry said neutrally.

Daphne's fingers dug deeper into the fray of his mane and she marveled at their softness. "Is it really such a terrible thing? I am willing…would reciprocating be failure? Would it lead to some new travesty?"

"Perhaps." She stiffened and her heart fell at his response. "Perhaps it will not."

"What is there to lose that we do not already risk?"

He fell silent and the silence stretched on.

She knew the answer to that one all too well.

Pride.

Pride was an inherent and dominant trait amongst the Royalty of Oblivion. They did not give…ever. They only ever took. From their servants, from the mortals and from each other. To willingly give in was unheard of.

Harry's hold on her tightened. "You are adamant on this, then?"

Softly, her response came. "I am."

He fell into silence once more and Daphne felt his chest reverberate as he fell into deep contemplation.

Feeling the dull beat of his heart against her back, her own pulse quickened in anticipation of his response to her resolution. The soft lub dub of his organ was enthralling in its own way and she reacted to it by using her magic to slow the rhythm in her chest.

Carefully, she manipulated her heart to match his until they beat in concerto. It was a childish, she knew, to take pleasure in something so trivial. Yet, it broke some of the anxiety and, a small part of her own mortal soul, clung to the hope that as their hearts rang as one, so too would their thoughts.

His arms loosened from around her waist and she felt him pull himself up. Ice ran through her veins as she dread that he had decided that enough was enough. Daphne hissed out a low breath that she hadn't even realized she was holding in.

Her body was pulled deeper into the mattress as it accommodated his shifting form. Hesitantly, her eyes, glazed with a certain foreboding, turned around to take in his visage. One look, and her mind rang hollow.

Looming over her, his ebony locks fell downward and shadowed over eyes that stared a soulless silver.

Her breath caught in her throat as his flesh, seemingly made of stone, gave no quarter to any of the previous turmoil of the night. Cruel, merciless and so utterly _captivating_, the Daedric Prince Jyggalag gazed down at her.

The pounding fear throbbed in her temples and, slowly, she began to lose the ability to draw in air. The very atmosphere seemed to stiffen as his mere presence elicited a scream within her mind.

His head tilted, a dark shard in his terrifying mercurial eyes. He reached out with a hand and brushed the back of fingers across her lips and even as his touch flared within her, she saw the eyes of him who held dread amongst the Seventeen and the Nine. No thought nor emotion was held therein.

Thoughtless Sin and Blessed Passion were all but vanished from bleak and desolate soul that haunted above her. For even as her hands clutched the sheets beneath and her chest rose and fell; statuesque he remained.

Ivory parted from underneath his lips and the elder Prince's words fell upon her; pronouncing doom and telling of ruin. "Crumble before Jyggalag."

Then he kissed her.

* * *

Harry let his mind reach further and wander about the halls of his ancestors. Eventually, his magic touched upon a light presence that seemed oblivious to the world. He pressed his magic and allowed it to transmit images, sounds and all other stimuli to his senses. In another world, in another age, he would have been able to split his essence and transverse multiple Planes of Existence simultaneously.

A flicker of amusement passed through him as he beheld Iris curled into numerous pillows and hidden away by deft blankets of fur. As her chest rose and fell, a small noise carried across the room. It was too soft to count as a snore. Conversely, it was too heavy to be brushed off as a simple breath. A tender brush of her mind gave him everything he needed to know and he pulled that part of him back in his body.

As he made his way to his closet for a change of clothes, he caught sight of his own reflection. Suffice it to say, his appearance did not coincide with the state of his possessions. Harry's lips twitched in his displeasure and a look of annoyance flashed in his eyes.

His sweat matted hair lay strewn across his brow. His shirt was wrinkled and even torn in places. There were scratch marks across his chest and angry red love-bites adorned the hollow of his throat. He looked quite haggard.

Harry inhaled deeply and his magic rushed out from under his skin.

Immediately his clothes melted away into nothingness leaving his body bare and nude.

Bereft of light, even his magically enhanced eyes could barely make out his form. Though he could all too easily feel the cake of sweat and physical exertion across his skin. The matted grime of effort through his hair and the results of both his and Daphne's release sprayed across his pelvis and thighs.

A powerful resonance hummed through the room as magic permeated through the air. The air moistened, humidity rose until a fine spray of mist filled the space between the furniture within the confines of his personal quarters.

Harry raised his hand as he drew water from the very vapor in the air and the mist swirled into minuscule droplets as they coalesced. Slowly, the crystalline droplets rotated around the center of his palm. Like the center of a galaxy, they spiraled forth, unable to escape the pull of magic.

A distorted orb of water hovered in front of Harry. His emerald eyes flashed with jade power and the water let loose an eldritch glow.

Unflinching, his impassive gaze rose from his conjured sphere of water to settle on numerous other floating globs of liquid that he had conjured. With an iridescent radiance similar to their ethereal counterparts, all of them orbited him as his satellites.

Drawing his eyes back to levitating mass above his hand, he slowly reached out as and softly pressed the pads of his fingers to the cold liquid.

A chill ripped up his arm as the water slowly began crawling down his fingers and over his hands. He turned his arms around as the water crept up along him. Another pulse of magic and the liquid grew a scalding hot over his skin.

More and more of the orbs pressed themselves against him, covering him in a second skin of transparent sheen. His skin hackled in irritation as the wounds delivered by Daphne's passion slowly closed and regenerated.

Warmth trickled down his spine as a globe of water slowly spread amongst the roots of his hair and over his scalp. The filth and dirt of his night time affair was lifted off his being and within moments, he was clean once more. A single thought willed all the water away, along with the impurities it carried. A second thought left him entirely dry and the third clothed him in dark muggle attire from his closet.

He ran a hand through his hair, effortlessly sweeping back his long shadowy strands.

As he made his way to the hallway, he, once again, caught sight of his reflection.

_'Flawless.'_

* * *

Lily could only watch in trepidation as Harry made his way down the large staircase. His rippling movements, so reminiscent of a predator, put her on edge and the way his eyes simply seemed to pass over her so dismissively forced worry into her chest.

It was early in the morning, the house-elves were just setting out breakfast and she had hoped to have a small private conversation with her son before her husband and daughter came down.

She had utterly embarrassed herself last night and, though she admitted to herself that it was a necessary confrontation, she knew there were things that needed to be worked out with her son.

As her eldest child approached, all thought left her and she blurted out, "You left."

Lily flinched, even as the sound of her voice reached her ears.

That was not what she had meant to say. She had wanted to apologize for everything, her breakdown and her failures. Instead she just threw down an accusation for something she honestly felt she had no right to even protest.

Her son on the other hand, continued to walk forward as if he hadn't heard her what-so-ever. As he walked right past her she tried again.

"You said you wouldn't leave," she said in a much softer voice with a hint of melancholy. Her heart aching at the thought of him away from her.

Her hands clenched and nails dug painfully into her palms.

Emerald eyes danced over her momentarily as he passed her by in the direction towards the kitchen. "I am here now, aren't I?"

His gait never changing, the inflection of his voice disinterested as ever.

Lily's lips parted slightly at his words, her eyes widened in realization and a small smile formed. She gazed hard at the marble floor, comprehension dawning on her.

'_That's right.' _The ache in her chest so bittersweet; so ugly yet, attractive. _'He came back…'_

A moment passed in which he drifted even farther away from her before she smiled to herself contently, "Yes…you are."

Looking back up, she saw her son stride through their home and seeing his back, she couldn't help but feel that, Harry looked so terribly alone. Like a transient guest, her Harry waved about, untouchable and unknowable.

A bell rang in her head as he slowly turned around, his gaze nearly bringing her to her knees. Impossibly strong emeralds and a visage that belonged to an elder world.

A picture, just an image caught in time, yet…it seemed to be such a lie.

How could he stand right in front of her yet still be so _very_ far away?

An Angel.

A Demon.

The thought came unbidden to her. _'A Prince…'_

His eyes flicked away and he turned back towards his intended destination. His countenance impassive and rejecting. Her sorrow water on his stone walled heart.

She moved towards him, closing the distance as swiftly as she could. "Harry, wait," she called to him as her fingers encircled his wrist. He didn't stop however, and she was forced to continue walking with him.

"Baby please," she implored. "We need to talk."

"I'm sure it can be said over breakfast." His tone so terribly uncaring that it cut deep into her being and nearly caused her to drop to her knees.

She fell quiet and vaguely continued to match his long strides.

It was only a second later that she realized that her hand was still wrapped around Harry's wrist. Taking a risk, she let go of his joint and grabbed the hand itself. The moment she did, his eyes fell on her from the edges of his peripheral vision.

She smiled weakly at him and gave him a reassuring squeeze. His gaze returned to ahead of him having showed no sign of acknowledgement yet, her heart trembled with aching joy as his fingers softly wrapped around her grip.

She spent the rest of the walk smiling at the ground.

The moment the two Potters entered the kitchen, all the house-elves fell into line and began assaulting her with questions on what she wished for breakfast.

She noted, with interest that the diminutive little creatures never queried Harry a single question and that the young teen simply walked over to the small table where the family generally ate together when they were without company.

Before he even seated himself, the elves had a full breakfast laid out for him which he meticulously began to pick apart as he ate. She could tell that her son was a creature of habit. Every action of his was refined, smooth and economic.

Every bit the pureblood scion that his father wasn't.

As Lily nibbled away on the toast the elves provided her with, her thoughts turned towards the direction of just how miserably she had failed her son in the last ten years. Birthdays, winter holidays, Hogwarts school events. Not a single memory of any that included her son.

There was a time in her life, she remembered, when not a minute would go by without Harry in her thoughts. So where had it gone all wrong?

The little boy who clung to his mother. The same one who would cry at the door every time his father had to leave for work. The one who would curl around Iris in her crib when she was but a few months old. What had happened to her that she would completely forget about her own first born?

Something hit her hand.

Lily looked down and frowned as she saw a small splatter of water across the back of her hand. _'What?'_

She looked up at Harry, who was staring inquisitively at her. Slowly, she reached and put her fingers to her cheek and found a wetness. Had she been crying? She hadn't even noticed.

Looking back at Harry, she couldn't help give a small bark of laughter. Short and bitter that it was.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she said in a contrite tone. "It's just that…I-I really don't know what's going on with me anymore."

She saw his eyebrow arch in question and she shook her head.

"I can't explain it…it's like there's no cohesion to my thoughts." Her eyes glazed over, lost in her own misery. "One moment I'm feeling fine, the next, I'm having myself a nervous breakdown."

She let out a tired sigh as she leaned her head into her arms, her vivid red hair spilling over. "Perhaps, you should invest some effort into learning Occlumency." Harry's voice carried over smoothly.

She raised her head. "Maybe you're right," she said as she blew out several strands of hair out of her face. Her expression then contorted to one of confusion. "Where did you learn about Occlumency?"

Harry sipped a dark liquid out of his cup. "For those that know where to look, Hogwarts has much to after."

She frowned at his cryptic reply but she knew that pushing wouldn't do her much good. "Any recommendations?"

"The family library has few books," he replied folding his hands in front of him. "But books can only take you so far."

Lily ran a list of people who could possibly teach her son the esoteric magic of the mind. Not surprisingly, the list came up quite short.

While James knew the basics, he himself did not have the full grasp of the subject to make an effective teacher. Charlus and Dorea were more than likely surpassing the adept stages of the practice however, she'd rather not ask them. A girl really can't afford to have her in-laws rummaging about in her head. That only left Severus and Dumbledore.

Hell would freeze over, melt, and then freeze over again before she went to the addled mind of the Headmaster for help.

Severus was her only real option. Besides, she knew that he was well beyond a master of the art. Having successfully deceived Voldemort, one of the most talented Legilimens in the country, she knew that he was well versed in the mind arts.. But still, there were reservations about asking her childhood friend to poke around in her skull.

Suddenly a thought occurred to her. Lily examined her son very carefully. "Harry," she called out gingerly. "Could…could you teach me?"

Harry's eyes shimmered in an analytical manner. His eyes honed steel as she beheld something flash within his emerald aspects. She could've sworn that his expressionless façade broke for but a moment and the edges of his lips sharpened. "There are…_disagreeable_ effects of having me in your head."

"It wouldn't be safe for you?" she frowned.

This time, she was positive his lips curved, microscopic that it was. "It wouldn't be safe for _you_."

Her mouth fell into a small O.

Silence permeated through the kitchen once more, the house-elves having gone to rouse her husband and daughter, no doubt. Several uncomfortable moments passed where Lily had no idea what to say to her estranged son. Ironically, it was he who began the next verbal engagement. "When are we leaving?"

"What?" Her brow scrunching in confusion.

Methodically, he touched a napkin to his mouth, clearing away crumbs. "Did you not say that you had some shopping to do in the muggle world and that you required my help? Hence the reason you forbade my outing the other day?"

Color flooded Lily's cheeks as her desperate, thought-up-in-the-moment lie came back to bite her in the rear. "Uhh…yes, well…I'm sure we can reschedule it later when your father is free. I wouldn't want to take up time from your vacation when we're about to leave for France."

"There's no need." And Lily really hated the way Harry's dip of head seemed so gracious. "Father will be wrapping up the last bit of work he has today and Iris will be going to the Bones'. It will be just the two of us."

"N-No, no." Lily shook her head with a wavering smile. "There really is no need."

"Nonsense," She shivered as his façade broke and a smile curved in full. She was assaulted with the image of a dragon bearing its teeth. "I really have nothing to be done and I know that neither do you. I keep myself entertained and you get to finish your shopping."

"I don't th-"

"Besides," Harry's smile slid right off his face. "We can finish last night's conversation without theatrics. No?"

Lily gave a shaky smile. "Of-of course," she swallowed hard.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Three days had passed since Lily had eaten breakfast with Harry and then proceeded to spend more time with him in one day than perhaps she had in the last ten years. There had been a lot of crying on her part, once again. Luckily it was only mild sobbing as opposed to the hysterics of her initial confrontation with Harry.

She had spoken to him for hours as the mother-son pair walked the streets of London together. She had made him tell her everything of the last ten years and what she had missed. It was not easy. Harry was very elusive and vague with his answers. Not that she blamed him.

After what she did to him, Lily would be incredibly lucky if her son ever allowed her to enter his heart again. One piece of information she did manage to glean from him, one that shocked her to her very core, was that Harry was an unsurpassed genius. Not only was his intellect astounding but his memory was perfect in a way that seemed almost inhuman.

It was a conflicting revelation for her. On one hand, her son was blessed in a way she couldn't possibly hope for. On the other, that blessing had been entirely ignored and passed over in her single minded drive to favor one child over another.

Nonetheless, she had made steady progress with Harry and was pleased to see that she had some inkling to his personality, despite his best effort to remain as impassive as possible. A mother knows best after all. In fact, Lily found it quite easy to read Harry at times. As if his behavior was something reminiscent of something long forgotten.

Regardless, mother and son were working on mending their relationship. All Lily could do was hope that Harry would forgive her and maybe, just maybe, choose to forget what she did as well.

Lily let out a sigh, a small sense of contentment flowing through her at the thought of her son.

Now if only she could work on all the other relationships that had broken. Namely one in particular. The one she shared with the woman giving her such an obviously fake smile.

"Lily dear, you look absolutely…marvelous."

"Petunia…I could say the same for you…why you look absolutely bewitching." Lily poured a full pitcher of honeyed venom onto her words.

Lily's smile became genuine when Petunia's face scrunched up for a moment in a sneer.

Lily then threw her smile at Vernon, even though she really tried to ignore the way the man so blatantly leered at her body. "It's good to see you again Vernon."

_'Even though you barely fit into my line of sight.'_

"Dad and James just opened up a new bottle of Chardonnay in the sitting room. Why don't you go join them…I hear that it tastes absolutely _magical_." She was rewarded with a well-timed flinch and the man quickly raced off.

Lily turned back around to give another innocent smile at Petunia but instead, was met with a rather distasteful sight. "D-Dudley?" The young boy looked up at her with confusion and apprehension. "My…you've certainly…err grown."

Petunia immediately wrapped her hands around Dudley's shoulders and gave a sickening smile. "My Duddykins is a growing boy." She said with a little too much force.

"I-I can see that," Lily said, trying not to imagine the boy growing any more. He was the same age as Iris and probably weighed as much as James or Harry. Possibly even more!

"Petunia!" An all too familiar female voice cried out in delight. "Oh, it's been so long dear!"

An older woman with dark hair came out to the foyer and immediately embraced her daughter. "Mum," Petunia said with sincere affection. "How've you been?"

"Oh I'm perfectly fine dear. I'm so glad you and Vernon could make it. I was wonder-Oh!" Their mother turned and caught sight of Dudley. "Dudley!" The eldest of the Evans women exclaimed and reached out and pinched his cheeks-_'Blubber'_-Lily mentally corrected. "You're growing to be a fine young man, now aren't you?"

"Uhh?"

_'If only Severus were here…'_ Lily was biting the inside of her mouth to keep herself from laughing as an image of the Potions' Master writing a large red D on a student's homework.

_'Professor Snape! Why did I get a Dreadful on this assignment?'_

_'A Dreadful?! As if I'd be so generous on that atrocity you handed in! That, you imbecilic dunderhead, is a Dudley!'_

"Lily dear…are quite all right?" Lily blinked herself away from her daydream to the concerned expression of her mother and the look of suspicion on her sister's.

"I'm fine," she smiled.

"Well, if you say so," She said turning back around and addressing Dudley. "Why don't you go out back? Harry and Iris are already there."

Petunia looked apprehensive about sending her son to be alone with her children but their mother had already pushed Dudley away before she could even protest. "There," Mother dearest said with a smile. "Why don't you join Lily and me in the kitchen Petunia? Your sister and I have already began marinating the Turkey. Why don't you help me make the stuffing?"

"Of course mum," Petunia smiled.

All three women entered the kitchen and set about getting to work. For several minutes they prattled on about mundane things. From new recipes they've tried, to remembering the past and, especially for Lily and Petunia, bragging about their respective children.

However, the first mention of Dudley set their mother off. "Now really Petunia! You need to be stricter with that boy's diet! There's no reason for a child that young to be so incredibly overweight!"

_'Go mum,'_ Lily cheered inwardly while the corners of her lips twitched.

"He's not overweight!" Petunia defended. At both her mother's and sister's dry looks, she further added, "It's his father's blood! They're all big boned!"

Lily shook her head.

_Hagrid_ was big boned.

Dudley and Vernon were just plain big. Her mother seemed to agree with her. "Regardless. It's not healthy for a young man to be so heavy. God forbid, he might end up obese!"

"_A_ beast, more like it," Lily muttered under breath.

Petunia simply sniffed and looked away haughtily.

"Speaking of grandsons," her mother turned towards her. "Honestly Lily! I'm incredibly disappointed in you!"

That was unexpected.

"You are?" Both sisters asked. One with a frown, the other with glee.

Mum put her hand on her waist and narrowed her eyes at Lily. "Yes! I am! How many years is it since I've seen my eldest grandchild! Now I realize that Harry elected to stay the winter holidays to further his education, but really! You couldn't be bothered to bring him around during the summer!? Or, send something of a photo at least!?"

Her mother's volume increased quite significantly and Lily knew that she had upset the woman quite a bit. "I'm sorry mum, things have been hectic after Iris began getting older. You know how it is. I've told you everything."

"About Iris, yes!" Her mother said coldly. "The poor dear has too much on her shoulders; but-! That does not excuse the fact that when Harry walked through those doors I honestly thought you had invited James's younger brother!"

Her mother's words were a knife twisting painfully in the gut. Just another thing that she had taken away from her son in her callous disregard. She felt hot tears shimmer in her eyes. Her mother seemed to notice Harry more than herself.

Lily opened her mouth to say something but, the words caught in her throat.

"I…I'm sorry mum…it's…complicated." Her mother faltered at the utter misery in Lily's voice. A concerned expression adorned the Evans Matriarch's face. "Dear…would you like to talk about?"

Wiping the unshod tears away with the hem of her sleeve, Lily gave a sad smile and shook her head. "Maybe later…thanks for offering though, mum."

Trying to push away those morbid thoughts, she wondered what her children were up to.

* * *

Iris was in Heaven. Sitting out back at her grandparents' house while snuggled into her brother's side as they sat under a large oak tree. And the very best part? These divine, sugary delights that Harry had a house-elf bring to them.

Sweet rolls…so delicious…so perfect…so…so…so…_mmm._

Cuddling deeper into Harry's warmth, Iris gingerly poked Harry in the side. Her older brother looked down at her expectant look and amusement flitted across his eyes. He took a bite out of the sweet roll before lowering to in front of Iris. She arched her neck and nibbled a piece off.

As an explosion of sweet pleasure raided her mouth, she pressed her face into Harry's side. Slowly chewing the deliciously light texture, she inhaled Harry's metallic tang, giving the taste a whole new spectrum of relish.

_'Sweet Merlin…where have you been all my life!'_

They both sat there together for several more minutes. Neither of them saying a word as both were satisfied with eating the steaming roll of divinity. Eventually, Harry handed off the rest of the sweet roll to her and conjured a book to read. She tried reading the title but, she couldn't make out the language, let alone read it.

After a few more minutes, her innate curiosity got the better of her. "Watcha' readin'?"

"What are you reading," her brother corrected without even looking up.

Iris rolled her eyes.

"Fine, what are you reading?" She asked, doing her best to mimic his voice. His gaze slowly turned towards her, his eyes unflinching. Unfortunately, Iris did flinch and quickly looked away with a mumbled apology.

"A book on the nature of souls…"

Iris eyes widened slightly. "Isn't that, I dunno, like necromancy? Like really dark magic?"

"Yes," Once again not bothering to look up from the manuscript.

Iris twisted around rapidly so that she was practically in her brother's lap. "Really!?"

"Of course not," her brother scoffed.

"Oh," Iris said sounding disappointed.

She sunk back around, her back leaning on Harry. Then, in a fit of childishness, she grabbed his arm putting it under her chin and laid down across his chest.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"Making myself comfortable?" She asked innocently.

"Of course you are," he sighed, but said nothing further. Iris turned away from him and looked out towards the house with a smile. _'Best big brother ever!'_

She sighed and began to doze off as Harry's fingers began to massage the back of her neck in a slow caress. However, just as she was about fall into a comfortable slumber, she heard the back porch door open. Her eyes flicking open, she beheld a rather disturbing sight.

"Uh, Harry? What is that?" A frown of uncertainty in her voice.

Harry didn't answer right away. Instead he said, "Quickly, eat your sweet roll. _It_ will be attracted by the smell."

"You still haven't told me what that is." She asked in a minor huff.

"It's a Dudley."

"Dudley…?" She twisted the word in her mouth. "You mean like our cousin Dudley?"

"I refuse to be related to it."

Iris bit back a nervous laugh. "A little harsh, don't you think?"

"Look at it," Harry said as Dudley made his way towards them. "The sands of time for it are running low."

"Harry!" Iris exclaimed softly with a scandalous laugh.

"You'll agree with me when the priest comes to read it the last rites."

Iris's body was wracked with laughter and she was forced to turn around and stifle her laughter in Harry's abdomen.

"I do believe it's exerting its own gravitational field."

"Harry," Iris smacked his chest while laughing. "Stop being so mean."

From the corners of her eye, she saw Harry raise a hand over her head. Soon enough, there was a dull thud clearly heard through the backyard. Iris quickly raised her head and looked back horrified. "Harry! How could you do that?"

"Hardly my fault the imbecile tripped on his own shoes," Harry said without breaking his poker faced expression.

"You're hopeless." Iris rolled her eyes.

"Me?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm the perfect Prince."

* * *

**Author's Note: Year two will most likely be two or three chapters. With Jyggalag's genius I really can't come up with a liable excuse to drag out the chamber of secrets longer than that.  
**

**If you're a Bleach or High School DxD fan, check out my new story, Do Me A Wrong.**

**Hope You Enjoyed.**

**CE-NEX**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Wow...been a _long_ time. Funny thing is I wrote this chapter months ago. **

**This is the beginning of the Chamber of Secrets Fiasco**

**Hope you enjoy**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Back in Black**

**Time Skip to August of 1992**

Harry's neck snapped up from his book as Iris's scream tore its way down the hall and the manor wards flared in alarm. On instinct, Harry pressed his magic in a twist and appararted directly into his sister's bedroom.

The moment his feet landed on carpeted floors, his wand snapped into his hand and he immediately locked his eyes onto the frame of his younger sister. Sitting up in bed with the covers pulled to her chin, Iris's was gaping in open shock and horror. Harry quickly followed her gaze with both wand and eyes, only to pause and tilt his head in utter confusion.

Two small cracks behind him alerted him to his parents' appearance but, quite frankly, he was too transfixed with the spectacle before him.

His mother's terrified voice drifted from behind him, "Iris, what's wron-"

"What the fuck!?"

"James!" Lily exclaimed but quickly cut herself off as the sound of grunting and muffled thudding filled the room.

All four Potters watched in silent bewilderment, not knowing how to react to the scene of sheer insanity playing out in front of them.

Effectively trashing Iris's room, while concurrently clobbering each other with diminutive appendages, two house-elves wrestled across the floor.

It was such a bizarre sight that, even Harry's inner Daedric Prince paused in order to take moment to make sense of what was occurring. Fortunately, or unfortunately on some point, before he could do anything, the rest of the family house-elves appeared and managed to subdue both of the combatants…if they could even be called that.

"And just what," Harry's voice a cold whip that immobilized the struggling little creatures. "Is going on here."

One of the fighting house-elves, which he recognized as the family elf Mansy, turned towards him with wide, fearful eyes.

"Master, Master!" It hopped on one foot to another. "Mansy be coming to wakey-wakey Missy Iris when this strange elf be popping in!"

Before another word could be said, two beams of red light slammed into the accused elf's frame, sending it flying out of the hold of the other two elves and crashing into the wall. The elf fell to the floor in a slump.

Harry cast a glance at his father and realized that they both had acted on the same thought. His father sent him a proud smile and said, "Nice reflexes, son."

Then, the lord of the manor straightened out as his wife quickly made her way to their daughter's side.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Lily put a hand on Iris's shoulder.

Iris nodded absently, still in slight daze from the shock.

"Right," James said, his voice harder than what he normally used at home and more akin to the one he used in the office. "Will someone _please _tell me just what the _hell_ happened here?"

Immediately the three family house-elves lined up in front of his father but, it was Iris who answered instead.

"Mansy woke me up like he always does," Iris began as she slipped out of bed and out of their mother's embrace. "But then suddenly that other elf just pops in and Mansy began shouting at it. I, uh, was kinda still out of it so I don't remember exactly what he said. But next thing I knew was that the weird elf tackled poor Mansy to the floor!"

Harry turned away from Iris and looked at the intruder elf's unconscious form. It was dressed in rags and appeared to be slightly emaciated. Harry initially deduced that the family the elf was bound to must have been a poor one but then, he observed the bandages on the elf's fingers and the various bruises across its sickly grey skin.

His mouth set in a cruel line and his eyes narrowed slightly.

The state of the elf was easily attributed to abuse from the bonded family. Most wizarding households treated house-elves with some sense of decorum. Those that kept them in circumstances hardly better than slavery were aligned with the more bigoted and ignorant of the nobility.

A dark family attempting to assassinate the Girl-Who-Live, perhaps? Yet, how could the elf penetrate centuries of Potter family wards? It was no simple feat.

He returned the majority of his attention to the room as his father cast Mansy an expectant look.

The elf looked up at his father with indignation. "Mansy be telling the bad house-elf that he be not allowed in home! But he attacked Mansy when Mansy alerted ward magic!"

James cast a look at the downed elf before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing wearily. "Did he say or try to do anything before he threw himself at you Mansy?"

"No Master, sir." Mansy shook his head rather rapidly. "He being a very rude elf!"

The other two house-elves seemed to agree if the vigorous shaking of their head, or the way they kept throwing the intruder nasty glares, was of any indication.

"What are we going to do, James?" His mother moved towards Iris once more. "Are you going to call the office? The Department of Magical Creatures?"

The man shook his head in the negative. "It's a house-elf, Lils. They'll put in the minimum amount of effort before chalking it up to the elf being insane then throwing the poor thing as an appetizer for the dementors."

His father ran a hand through his hair while letting out a huff. "If we're going to find out who's behind this, we're going to have to do this on our own."

Lily's expression turned incredulous. "We can't keep the house-elf _prisoner_ James. Even if we did, _where _would we keep it?"

"Well," Harry mused out loud. "The dungeons are still functional, albeit I don't think they've been used in over a hundred-fifty years."

"Harry!" His mother whispered furiously.

"Besides," He continued, ignoring his mother. "I'm more concerned with how the elf managed to get past the wards."

That shut his mother up.

His father nodded. "Same. I don't like the idea of someone slipping past the wards undetected. _Especially_ right into my daughter's room."

"Oh!" They all turned as Iris's exclamation.

"Maybe it has something to do with that!" She pointed out to an amulet lying slightly under her bed. She bent down to grab it but Harry grabbed the neck of her night shirt and pulled her back.

"Idiot," He admonished. "You do not randomly pick up magical artifacts."

Iris stuck her tongue out at him but quickly wrapped her arms around the very same one he used to pull her back.

The amulet floated from under Iris's bed and over to the tip of James's outstretched wand. He peered at it from behind his glasses, slowly examining from all angles.

"Do you know what it is, James," Lily asked anxiously as she came and wrapped her daughter from behind. Said daughter, for her part, looked quite pleased at being pressed between her brother and mother.

Harry had to suppress a quirk of the lips as Iris's thoughts drifted to the forefront of her mind. His younger sister always did enjoy being showered with attention by her family.

"I think…" James used his wand to turn it in the air, surprise being etched all across his face. "I think it's a Kekeway Amulet."

"A kii-kii what?" Iris asked, her nose wrinkling in confusion.

"Keh-keh-way, princess." James said with an indulgent smile.

"That still doesn't explain what it is, James." Mother and daughter looked at him keenly but it was Harry who answered.

"It's blood magic developed in Ancient Egypt. It completely occludes a person from magic."

"It hides a person from magic _entirely_?" Lily's mouth fell open in amazement.

"Ignoring that you somehow managed to get into your grandfather's books on blood magic, Harry" James cast him a wry look. "Yes, it hides a person from any form of scrying, detecting or locating. Though only for a _very _brief and short period of time. Ten seconds at best, fifteen if the enchantment is strong enough."

"James," Lily gained a heavily perturbed look. "That means anyone can simply come and do as they please! Fifteen seconds is plenty of time to accomplish something! The wards are meaningless!"

"Hardly," Harry stated flatly. "Kekeway amulets are a product of a lost age. The knowledge necessary to create them has been long lost to the sands of Ancient Egypt. Those amulets are incredibly rare. They're also a one-time use creation"

"But-"

"Sorry," This time his voice nearing boredom. "Did I say incredibly rare? I meant to say exactly _seven_ of the amulets have been recovered in the last _two thousand_ _years_ of excavation. Two of those of seven were stolen during transportation…well…we know where one is now."

"That still leaves six, Harry." Iris stated from his side.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "One of which no one knows of its location and the other five securely held by the ruling families of Egypt."

"Yeah, but you said that that two were already stolen. What's stopping someone from stealing those?" She gave him an annoyed glare as if he were missing some obvious fact.

"Trust me sweetheart," They both turned towards their father. "No one in their right mind would try and steal from those families. Voldemort, with all his Death Eaters, Werewolves, Giants and whatnot, wouldn't have dreamt of trying it."

"Why not," She challenged, taking her arms off his and firmly placing them on her hips.

"Ancient Egypt is the birth place of the dark arts," Harry took over from his father. His words immediately dashing Iris's ire and replacing it with rapt fascination.

"Really?" She asked in excitement. Harry gave a barely perceivable shake of his head. Iris' love for romance and fantasy were quite ridiculous. Throw in her insatiable curiosity and Harry was left marveling that she did not end up as a Gryffindor.

Harry nodded. "Edifices of magic have been found there that are more than six thousand years old. And from these ancient wizards and witches do their modern descendants still rule. Millennia upon millennia of knowledge hoarded and most of it is _not_ the good kind."

The Dark Masters of Egypt were of no trifling matter. Even Harry wouldn't dare to challenge them. Nothing short of him being a Lord of Misrule in full would guarantee his survival. Those families had long since forfeited the right to call themselves human; drowning themselves in the deepest folds of the arcane.

"So they're bad?"

A sudden stem of fondness grew in Harry in the face of Iris's childish naivety. "The world isn't black or white, Iris." He said in a marginally softer voice. "There are people with very different morals out there and, by their standards, it is a very normal thing."

Iris seemed to contemplate his words for a solemn moment before asking, "People are weird?"

Harry confirmed. "People are weird."

The adults let out a chuckle as they witnessed the byplay between their children. "Well," Lily said with a smile. "How bout we get you freshened up and some breakfast while your brother and dad take care of…this."

"I'm not a baby, mum!" Iris huffed with a roll of her eyes. "I can take care of myself! I did fine in Hogwarts without you."

"I know love." Lily reached out and pulled Iris into a hug. One that his sister did not resist. "But let your mommy enjoy taking care of her babies while she can."

Utilizing the moment of overt sentimentality, Harry discreetly pointed his wand at the unconscious elf and dove into its mind. A few moments later, Harry retreated back into the confines of his own mind and was fighting not to let his amusement show.

'_Well,' _Harry ruminated on the irony of his discovery. _'Well this makes things more interesting indeed.'_

As Iris and Lily walked away, leaving the Potter men to deal with their odd captive, Harry called out to Iris.

She peaked over the frame of the door.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Happy Birthday."

Iris walked away beaming.

* * *

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Iris jumped up and down as she hugged Harry.

Having begun to grow used to Iris accosting him and invading his personal space, Harry idly stared off into the crowd, doing his best not to pay attention to bobbing red head.. "That's nice, now let go."

The family had decided on going to Diagon Alley to shop for the children's school supplies, as the Hogwarts list had come through, along with buying Iris her birthday presents. Birthday presents had come first, evident by Iris's lively outburst on the presentation of Harry's gift.

Said birthday girl, was currently fawning over her new present.

"Have you thought up of a name, sweetheart," Lily said as she joined Iris in running a finger down soft and prim feathers. The white owl preened under the attention it was receiving from the two Potter witches. Its yellow eyes shimmering with a smugness that portrayed the unusual animal intelligence which had proved to be the reason Harry purchased it in the first place.

A firm hand deposited itself on Harry's shoulder, causing him to crane his neck to side just a tad bit. His father was looking at the mother and daughter duo with a somber expression.

"That was a nice thing you did for your sister, Harry," His father's grip tightening though not in an intimidating manner. "Although I can't say that I'm not worried. Owls are not cheap you know."

Like his father, Harry's sight was locked on the two female members of the family. Iris was chatting animatedly while his mother smiled down at her every so often.

"Not like I can't afford it." Harry gave the mental equivalent of a shrug.

"I wanna call her…" Iris turned away from the owl and gave Harry a questioning look. "It is a her, right?"

Harry gave an affirmatory nod and Iris beamed. "Her name is Hedwig! You like that name, right girl?"

The owl gave a curious look towards his sister before it lifted its wings and bobbed its head down with a definite hoot. Iris clapped like a toddler with a new rattle before petting her new avian once more.

'_Unusually intelligent indeed,' _Harry reflected with light amusement.

Seconds later, Harry once again found his person being assaulted by Iris in the form of a bone crushing hug. "You're the best Harry," she said quietly against him.

He looked away from her but settled a touch on her neck, pressing her head against his chest. As she let go, Iris motioned for him to come down to her level. Harry simply raised an eyebrow in question. Iris rolled her eyes, having become used to holding silent conversations with him.

She motioned him down with one finger once more and, out of utter interest, he bent down to her eye level. His eyes enlarged slightly as Iris pressed a lingering kiss to the side of his mouth. "You really are the best," She said, though with extra conviction and a slight color to her face.

Harry drew back and locked eyes with his sister.

"Hmph," he poked her in the forehead only to have her roll her eyes at him once more.

'_Cheeky little thing…'_

Harry could feel the approval and satisfaction radiating off his parents as his mother wrapped her arms around him from his side and gave a kiss of her own to his temple. "That really was sweet of you, Harry."

Alright, the sentimentality was beginning to become a tad too much for his comfort.

He cast a glance at his father who gave his trademark mischievous smirk and held up his hands. "Don't expect _me_ to kiss you."

Harry stayed silent for a moment before responding in a perfectly smooth nonchalance. "No need, I'm sure you get up to that with Sirius enough as it is."

There was an arbitrary instant of silence before his mother howled with laughter and Iris bent over in a mad fit of giggles. His father gaped at him before sputtering at him. "You ballsy little brat! I'm _so _grounding your arse when we get home!"

Even though his father's words were shaped in ire, a small smile never left his lips.

"James," his mother admonished as she clenched a hand over her laughter. "Behave yourself."

"Hmph," his father huffed as he put on an over exaggerated pout. "Let's be off, shall we?"

As Lily helped Iris put Hedwig back in her cage, James stopped and spoke out once more. "Actually, why don't you kids go over to Fortescue's while we get your potions' ingredients? Merlin knows how picky your mother is with them."

Lily sent her husband a mild glare while Harry nodded in agreement with his father. "Sure," Iris chirped and instantly grabbed Harry's hand. "Let's go Harry."

"Wait a second," James called out and reached into his robes. "Give me a minuuuute…ah! Here you go Harry."

Harry reached out with an open hand as his father dropped several sickles. The chinking of silver momentarily drew his attention but his father spoke once more. "Buy something for yourself and your sister, eh?"

Harry nodded and watched the two adult Potters walk away with all of the shopping bags. Iris kept her grip on his hand and shifted next to him as Harry found himself looking at the pieces of silver in his hand once more.

Fact: James and Lily Potter were very good parents who dearly loved their children.

His fingers closed around the metal coins in a tight grasp.

Fact: He had no need for them.

Shame.

"Come Iris. Let's get some ice cream." Harry turned and led his sister through the crowd and in the opposite direction of his parents.

* * *

As always, Fortescue's shop was filled with patrons and a near ten minute wait in line was necessary before they could even order. A ten minutes filled with Iris's incessant chatter and prodding.

His sister was the single most inquisitive creature he had ever come across. Not that it was a bad thing. He considered it a prime virtue for one to satisfy their innate palate for curiosity.

He just didn't understand the importance of why she was so insistent on obtaining his opinion of what color matched her eyes best.

Of course, once they had obtained their respective frozen dessert, they found themselves a place to sit and eat. Harry had hummed in agreement when Iris had commented on how they were lucky that the previous occupants of their seats had left just as they had received their order. The place was rather full due to the shop's incredible popularity.

It went without saying that Harry held his silence on his blatant abuse of mental magic when he ordered an elderly couple to vacate the premises and return home.

A few more minutes passed where Harry finished his ice cream and passed the time picking the minds of the various shoppers. Every now and then, he'd glean something useful or mildly entertaining. Iris, for her part, was scooping up the remnants of her melted treat.

"Well isn't this a surprise," A voice called out as a third party pulled up a chair and sat down at their table.

Harry having sensed the person's arrival, did not react in the slightest but, Iris looked momentarily stunned. Right before her lips split into an exited grin. "Tonks!"

The young girl stood up and swiftly wrapped her arms around the older girl's neck. Tonks responded by returning the embrace in full vigor. "Oooh," Tonks's voice dripping with affection. "Happy birthday little cousin."

Nymphadora Tonks. His second cousin once removed on his father side and one of the few people he actually managed to get along with. Despite her singular and disturbing ability to trip over open air.

Though Harry never held that against her.

Nymphadora had the singular unique blessing of being a metamorphmagus. A being who could change their shape and size down to minutest detail. To a reasonable extent of course. Unfortunately, because Nymphadora was consistently changing her body dimensions, she was miserably coordinated and tended to be the single clumsiest person within a hundred mile radius.

The young witch turned towards him and winked. "Wotcher, Harry."

He gave a cool dip of his chin. "Nymphadora, how've you been?"

She gave a grimace as her hair turned a light shade of lavender, attracting several people's attention. Metamorphs _were_ exceptionally rare after all. Harry was certain that Nymphadora was the only one within the nation currently.

"I _was _feeling good until you opened your big mouth, you prat." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Harry gave a slight shrug. "I like your name. Pardon me for actually using it."

The eldest of the three grabbed Iris in a hug once more and began to dramatically bemoan. "Oh Iris! Look how cruel your big brother is to me. Bless your little head for dealing with this depraved monster day in and day out."

"There, there." Iris patted Nymphadora on the head, pity filling in her eyes. "It'll be alright…maybe."

Nymphadora pushed Iris away and groaned. "You're evil. Both of you."

She then gave a glance around. "Where are Uncle James and Aunt Lily?"

"Out shopping," the siblings simultaneously replied.

"So what're you doing here? I thought you were busy studying for the Auror entrance exams." Iris asked as she sat back down.

"I was picking up mum's robes for your party tonight." Nymphadora's eyes went wide. "Whoops."

Harry's own eyes closed in a silent sigh as Iris began to practically glow in exuberance. "Party!? For me?"

"Yes," Annoyance creeping into Harry's tone. "Your _surprise_ party."

Nymphadora gave a weak chuckle. "Err…sorry there Harry."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Well, now that that's been thoroughly ruined, let's move on to a different subject."

"What?" Iris sulked. "I wanna know about my party!"

"You'll find out in a few hours," Then, turning away from Iris, Harry gave his attention to his cousin. "How were the NEWT's?"

"Urrghhh." She dropped her head onto the table. "Don't remind me."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a flair for the dramatics?" Harry said dryly.

"Piss off, you donkey."

"Not in front of Iris," Harry chided.

"Stop treating me like a baby, Harry!"

Ignoring his sister, Harry asked, "Well?"

"They were miserable." Though Nymphadora picked up her head from the table and gave a smug smirk. "Though I cinched them."

"Oh?" A single brow rose.

"Yeah," She stretched her arms over head. "I got O's on everything except Charms. Professor Sprout sent me a congratulatory letter. So did McGonagall and Dumbledore. Dumbledore even hinted that Snape was impressed with my grades. Though that was probably because the greasy bat thought I'd fail."

"You know," Iris said with a tilt of her head and a finger to her chin. "I don't understand why everyone says Professor Snape is super mean. I mean, I don't think he's _that _bad."

Nymphadora gave her a flat look before returning her gaze to Harry. "You know I barely saw you last year Harry. You weren't avoiding me were you?" She finished with a coy smile.

Harry gave a well-timed yawn much to her annoyance. "Hardly. I wasn't the one walking around with enough stress to make Dumbledore look young."

Her mouth twisted sour. "I said don't remind me but still; I saw enough of the munchkin here-"

"Hey!"

"In the Hufflepuff common room but you almost never showed up. It would have been useful picking that massive brain of yours."

A few minutes passed where Iris and Nymphadora amused themselves as the older witch used her wand to turn Iris' hair different colors.

Harry broke into their fun and asked. "How's Andromeda doing?"

Nymphadora gave him a calculating look. "You know, it's really weird how casually you address my mum. Even weirder is how she acts around you. You'd think you two were the same age and grew up together."

Harry gave no outward reaction to her words but said, "Technically speaking, we belong to the same generation of Blacks."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Nymphadora gave a dismissive wave. "I know all that wonderful family crap. Just saying it's weird. Mind you, I think your family are the only cousins mum stays in touch with."

"It's a two way street," Harry said. "You and Andromeda are the only two cousins I get along with."

"Really?" She looked incredibly interested at that.

Harry nodded and began to list off on his fingers. "Sirius is an idiot, Regulus is dead, dear Bella is insane, Narcissa is a trophy wife and Frank is catatonic. In your generation, there's only you, Neville and Draco."

"Not exactly the best pickings," Nymphadora muttered.

However Iris's face was set in confusion. "Frank? You mean Neville's dad? I didn't know he was a Black."

"He's as much Black as we are." Harry said. "His grandmother was Callidora Black. Grandmother Dorea's cousin."

"If you're going to include the Longbottoms you might as well include the Weaselys." Nymphadora said shrewdly.

"They were disowned," Harry waved off.

"Do we have to talk about all this pure-blood stuff," Iris moaned. "We sound like Malfoy."

Nymphadora blinked before gaining a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Ah, my baby cousin. How is little Draco? I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet. Is he as slimy as his daddy?"

"I don't know about his dad but, he's super annoying!" Irritation clearly flashed through Iris's eyes. "He's always following me around in Hogwarts trying to be my friend. It's only when Harry's around that he leaves me alone."

Nymphadora chuckled softly. "Yes, well, we all know big brother Harry is downright scary when he wants to be."

But then her expression turned serious. "But be careful around him Iris. He may be a snot nosed brat but the Malfoys are dangerous. Especially for you."

"I know, I know." Iris said with a pout.

Nymphadora looked at her for a full second before turning her eyes on Harry. Her face still set in stone. "I should warn you two…actually, tell Uncle James the moment you see him."

Harry and Iris both looked at her curiously. "I saw old Arcturus down at Gringotts earlier. I don't think I need to tell you but stay away from that old codger if you can help it."

Harry nodded grimly.

Arcturus Black was the current head of the Black family and his great-uncle. The man was also the single most dangerous wizard in Britain. Despite his advanced age, the old wizard was still a formidable foe and he wielded political clout that was unsurpassed in the Wizengamot.

"Well, I need to get going." Nymphadora said standing up.

The Potter siblings stood up politely as well. "We'll see you later tonight, Nymphadora."

She smacked his arm playfully but gave him a smile. "Stay outta trouble kid."

The two girls embraced one more time. "Bye, Tonks."

"Goodbye and happy birthday, love."

* * *

"This crowd is ridiculous." Their father complained from the line in Flourish and Blott's.

It had been ten minutes after Nymphadora had left that their haggard looking father and frustrated mother appeared. Apparently Lily Potter wasn't impressed with the ingredients stocked at the local apothecary and after half an hour of arguing with the sales clerk, she left empty handed with the promise she would have her children's potion ingredients bought from a quality private supplier.

After which, the family had crusaded through every other shop, buying up all the necessary school supplies. All that was left, were the books for the upcoming year. However, the entire store was jam-packed with customers for namely one, Gilderoy Lockhart.

The store was absolutely crowded with middle-aged witches pushing to gain the man's autograph. It made it very difficult for the numerous students to get any of their purchases done as all of the required books for Defense Against the Dark Arts were sitting up by the author and only accessible after they had been personally signed. Hence the long line.

"I still can't believe that idiot is a published author." Lily muttered under her breath. "He barely passed through Hogwarts."

"Easy love," James slipped an arm around his wife's waist and pressed his lips to her shoulder. "I'm sure the new teacher has his reason for putting _every single_ Lockhart book on the required list."

Harry was watching his parents from the side and was decidedly amused by the whole ordeal. He had drifted through the stores selection with Iris while their parents stood in the agonizingly slow line. Though his enhanced hearing picked up his parents conversation with ease.

"Ladies and gentlemen," A loud boisterous voice filled the air. "I, Gilderoy Lockhart, five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award." There was a slight pause here for the high pitched screams. "Have a magnificent announcement to make!"

Harry would have generally ignored the man but Iris had tripped over a book on the floor and into the cameraman. "Oi, watch where you…bless my soul! It's Iris Potter!"

Harry suddenly felt a massive headache begin to creep onto the forefront of his head.

There were several excited murmurs of 'the Girl-Who-Lived' and his sister had gone beat-red at all the attention lapped on her so abruptly. Iris's face quickly fell into panic as an ostentatious robed arm pulled her to the front.

"Ladies and gentlemen, when young Iris here walked into this respectable establishment, she had no idea that she'd be getting signed copies of all of my works for free!"

There was uproarious applause as Harry's annoyance quickly churned into anger.

"Yes, indeed, and an even greater surprise to the Girl-Who-Lived is that _I_, will be the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts!"

Right.

Harry had made his decision.

He was going to kill Gilderoy Lockhart and he was going to enjoy it.

He saw his parents move through the crowd with both fury and trepidation on their features. Harry drew his wand and pointed it at Lockhart.

Suddenly there was a cold wave of magic that chilled the temperature in the room significantly. It had stopped Lockhart's smile, it had frozen his parents in place and it had caused Harry's eyes to widen. It was the feel of magic seeped in the dark arts.

There was the sharp rap of wood on wood as Harry perceived a long cane hit the floorboards.

Black robes under a white jacket and a silver scarf was wrapped his neck. His face was lined with age yet remained possessed a regal austerity and ashen grey hair tightly combed back adorned his head.

"I would appreciate it if you unhanded my niece, _Mister_ Lockhart." His gravelly voice dripping with contempt he didn't even bother to hide.

Lockhart swallowed hard. "Of-of course my Lord."

The man's eyes fell onto Iris and the girl actually stepped towards _Lockhart_ for protection. "Over to your brother now, child." The elderly gentleman's mouth moved in a flat line.

Iris threw a glance at him than back towards the man emanating the cold magic before she quickly scurried over to Harry who offered her his hand. He locked gazes with the nobleman and felt a slight pressure on his mind. Harry easily brushed aside the mental assault but did not retaliate. The man's lips quirked in the briefest of smiles.

Harry pulled Iris along as he made his way towards the man, an act which caused Iris to glance at her brother questioningly. However, it was the sight of their parents moving in their direction as well that calmed her down. Harry, never taking his eyes off the dark wizard, pushed Iris in the direction of their mother.

Lily quickly wrapped her arms around Iris before giving her undivided attention to the gentlemen who had rescued her daughter from Lockhart's grasp, however she said nothing. Fully comfortable letting her husband to deal with this man.

"Uncle," James said, with a polite nod of his head.

Arcturus Black the Third did not deign to return the nod. "James," he said slowly. "You are remiss to allow your children to be so easily handled by others."

Notwithstanding his intense lack of pure-blood customs, his father was not one to back down from a verbal bout with a fellow lord of a Noble and Most Ancient House. Especially when the other lord was his own uncle.

"Her brother is more than capable of taking care of her in our absence." He replied stiffly.

Arcturus looked at Harry from the corners of his eyes. "Indeed?"

Harry fingered his wand in his hand and there was an unexpected crash from behind him followed by several screams. Arcturus's gaze flicked over Harry's shoulder and Harry didn't have to turn around to know what the scene behind him was.

"Indeed," He repeated, drawing Arcturus's eyes back toward him. Harry slipped his wand up his sleeve, a movement, which he noted, the old man caught.

"It has been a long time Hadrian."

"It has." Harry replied evenly.

Arcturus smiled thinly.

"Good riddance," He heard his mother whisper harshly from behind him. "I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking hiring that man. He's most certainly gone senile."

The Black Lord looked at his mother, surprise fliting across his face momentarily before he schooled it back into his neutral expression. "Albus rarely does anything without a deeper purpose. He has been that way since our Hogwarts days."

His mother's face was briefly one of minor astonishment at having been directly addressed by the pure-blood lord. However, she quickly scowled and said, "That man has too many secrets."

Harry carefully watched his great-uncle's face as something akin to satisfaction wore itself through his grey eyes.

"Perhaps we best move to the front of the store?" Arcturus said as he observed the people beginning to rush around.

As the adults walked in front, Iris fell next to Harry and asked, "I wonder if that Lockhart guy will be okay?"

"An acceptable loss for our society." Harry drawled.

Apparently they were loud enough to be heard by the adults because his father gave a light snort and both his mother and great-uncle had small smiles.

"Still, I didn't think the chandelier would fall on him like that. How weird, right?"

Harry merely smiled in response.

* * *

Iris looked around the store curiously as her parents talked with her scary looking great-uncle. Well, he wasn't _really_ scary looking, he just gave a really creepy vibe. Kind of like how Professor Quirrel did before he disappeared after the last winter break.

There were all sorts of rumors about how _that _happened.

The most common one was that those vampires he was always going on about finally managed to get their fangs into him.

Still, her great-uncle wasn't all that bad. He had bullied the sales clerk into quickly getting all of her and Harry's books and even paid for them. Okay, so intimidating the poor sixth year Ravenclaw who worked the store as a summer part-timer wasn't exactly nice. But still, it was a lot better than what the rest of her Black relatives got up to normally.

Besides, Great-Uncle Arcturus considered her daddy his favorite nephew. Mainly because all his other nephews were dead but, that's neither here nor there. Daddy was a pure-blood lord with a lot of money and power. Not to mention he was no slouch in the smarts department too. It also helped that he was easy on the eyes too.

…

What?

There's nothing wrong with saying her daddy was an attractive man! The entire Potter family was attractive! Women always trailed their eyes on daddy when her mum wasn't around. The cashiers always flirted with mum when daddy was outside waiting to grab all the bags. And every slag in Hogwarts drooled after Harry! She even once caught Professor Sinestra looking at her brother's backside.

All of the Potters were super-hot!

Iris knew she was also a good looking witch for her age. And if her mum was anything to go by, she'd fill out nicely too! Iris _knew _she'd turn heads when she became older. The only complaint she had was the ugly lightning shaped scar on her forehead.

Iris had been forced from a young age to cover her brow with her bangs to hide the mar of her face. No matter where she went, people would gawk at her. Muggles would give her that infuriating pitying look mixed with curiosity and magicals would ogle her like she was something out of the zoo.

Stupid scar…stupid Voldemort…what she wouldn't do for the chance to use those self-defense lessons daddy thought her on the former dark lord. She'd gouge his eyes with pepper spray before nailing him in his Slytherin jewels! The jerk…

"Well, well," A smooth, oily voice caught her attention. "If it isn't Iris Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived."

Iris realized that in her musings, she had wandered away from her family again and was now being approached by three blondes. Platinum blonde hair covered in copious amounts of gel could only mean one thing, Malfoys.

This could be trouble.

Right…what was the first thing to do when in trouble…find Harry!

She swept the immediate vicinity only to be disappointed.

Okay…no Harry in sight.

Iris's eyes fixed on the woman. Narcissa Malfoy was her second cousin on her father's side. Maybe she could appeal to familial bonds…?

Oh who was she kidding? Narcissa was raised a hardcore Black. Every witch for herself.

"Lucius Malfoy, Miss Potter. My son Draco has told me much about you and-ah!" Iris flinched as the man grabbed her chin and brushed back her bangs. "Forgive me Miss Potter but I can't help but look at the mark left upon you by the Dark Lord."

Suddenly, Iris found herself being yanked back and Lucius Malfoy found himself being knocked to the floor.

A figure stepped out in front of Iris and she didn't need to see his face to see who it was. Or to tell that he was angry. Waves of rage rolled off of Harry and Iris could actually feel his magic searing against her face. "If you wanted to look at his mark then you only need have looked toward your own arm."

Her brother's voice was that one that sent chills up her spine. The one that generally came with the expression, 'I'm about to turn you into minced meat.'

'_Go big brother,' _Iris cheered.

Lucius Malfoy rose promptly to his feet as his face contorted in anger. "You'd do well not to involve yourself in matters that do not concern you, you miserable wretch of a child!"

Harry's actions had gathered a crowd, including her parents who immediately rushed over to them. Though not before Harry retorted coldly. "Bold words from a branded _slave_."

There was a collective gasp from the growing audience as Lucius Malfoy's face contorted in rage and he drew his wand.

"Malfoy!" Iris heard her daddy yell. "Get away from my children!"

Her father was pointing his wand at Malfoy while simultaneously shielding Harry with his body. Her mother was at her side, pulling her back towards the crowd.

"Potter," Lucius sneered. "I should have seen the resemblance. Of course the little shite would be your filthy half-blood."

"Lucius that's enough!" Narcissa hissed from the sides. "You're embarrassing yourself!"

"Best listen to dear Cissy, Lucius." Her father taunted. "Wouldn't do to have to arrest you for assault on a minor now would we?"

However, that's when Harry moved from his position and bent down to pick up a small book that was lying on the floor and the moment he did, Lucius Malfoy's eyes went wide and he lunged forward. Her father immediately reacted and met the man halfway.

They struggled against each other momentarily and that's when all hell broke loose as the wizards let loose spell fire. People began running and screaming and Iris was pushed to the floor in the mad rush. She saw brief flashes of spells and the resulting furniture being blasted into rubble.

Iris pushed herself up as she heard barely made out her mother's voice screaming her name amidst the chaos. Nearly being knocked down again, Iris put all her strength into her legs and ran towards the wall. Nevertheless, she ended up running into someone and together they fell into a pile limbs. "Sorry, sorry," she muttered as both she and the person she ran into clutched at each for support as they made to stood up.

It was with great surprise that Iris stared up into, the equally astonished, Narcissa Malfoy's face. Talk about awkward moments. There was another spout of spell fire, and Iris had the sneaking suspicion that the combatants were more than just her father and Lucius now, that sailed upwards and through the ceiling.

It was with a fascinated horror that Iris watched a support beam torn in two and groan as it swung down in a wide arc towards her and the older witch. The two witches clinging to each in the heat of the moment, both had the surreal realization that neither of them would be able to reach their wands before the massive pillar of wood smashed into them.

They couldn't even manage a scream as it came hurtling towards them and…stopped mere inches away from their faces. Iris stared at the debris which had been all too ready to smash her into pulp with confusion. Narcissa, seemed just as confused and scared judging by how the woman was shaking. It was only then that Iris realized that she was trembling as well.

"Oh don't stand there looking like idiots," Harry's voice layered with annoyance came to her. "Move!"

Iris spied Harry standing not too far from them with his wand pointing at the beam of wood. She immediately ran to his side and, startlingly, so did Narcissa.

"Harry, where are mum and dad?" Iris asked, concern marring her face.

"Your mother is safely on the other side of the store while your father is effectively making a fool of himself with Lucius." A gruff voice said from behind her.

As her great-uncle came to beside her brother, she saw Narcissa stiffen from next to her. "Grandfather?" The woman exclaimed in shock.

"Indeed my dear," The man said as normally as possible. As if there wasn't a full-fledged battle going on. "Allow me to express how utterly embarrassed I am by your husband's actions. I always told Castor that Abarax's son was no good."

Narcissa Malfoy stammered momentarily before she went deathly pale. A remarkable feat considering how fair she was to begin with. "Where is Draco? Where is my son!?"

"He ran with the rest of the cowards. Don't worry," He added at her look. "You know of my gift. He is safely outside."

"This has gone on long enough." Harry's voice had that edge to it that warned Iris of an impending lashing on his part.

"Agreed nephew," Though Arcturus sounded more amused if anything. "Though what will you do?"

Harry answered by raising a hand and pressing the tip of his wand into his other palm. "**Immobulus."**

Iris's eyes were consumed in a flash of blue light.

* * *

**Author's Note: The biggest thing is probably how bi-polar Harry seems right? Well in a manner he is.  
**

**As I've made the comparison that Jyggalag and Akatosh are twins I've also made their situations the same.**

**The Alduin/Akatosh dichotomy: Akatosh is invincibity, immortality and endurance personified. In that sense he is the ultimate Aedra, who embody preservation and, to an extent, stasis. Strangely, Alduin, who is both Akatosh's son as well as an aspect of Akatosh himself, embodies all the other qualities of Time. Death, Destruction, Change as well as renewal. Which is strange because by nature, Alduin is nearly identical to the Daedra who embody change.**

**Jyggalag is the Prince of Order. Order in the sense that there is no originality and everything fits perfectly into a system of mathematical formulas and logical categorization. In this regard, Jyggalag is practically an Aedra. Jyggalag's alter ego is Sheogorath. Madness manifest. Random with out any order and utterly illogical. **

**This is why I portrayed Akatosh and Jyggalag as the first two to come out of the Primordial conflict.**

**Give this some thought as you ponder Harry's strange behavior.**


End file.
